Power
by jediryu
Summary: Is power something real or something implied?  Read and review please.    This concludes the story arc starting with "Not so long ago, nor so far, far away.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note_

_All Star Wars characters and references belong to George Lucas._

_All Star Trek characters and references belong to Paramount Pictures._

_All Street Fighter references belong to Capcom._

_I don't own them; I'm just borrowing them for a little while._

_So please don't sue._

_This story is an AU that concludes the crossover I made starting with "Not so long ago nor so far, far away."_

**Power**

**by**

**jediryu ©**

Chapter 1

**Coruscant, somewhere in the Industrial Sector, Empty Zone**

Councilor Borsk Fey'lya smoothed the cream colored fur down where it bristled across his head in anticipation. "_At last," he thought to himself. "At last I can begin collecting on the debts owed me by those filthy Jedi, filthy _human_ Jedi."_ An Aide entered the room to stand in front of his desk and wait for permission to speak.

Out loud, Fey'lya spoke, "Speak. Is everything in readiness, all assets in place?" His Aide, Tereb Koth, a member of a weaker family, politically speaking, said, "Yes and yes Councilor, but . . ." "But what? Speak! Having second thoughts when we're about to begin?"

Koth pursed his lips as much as a Bothan could and said, "Not second thoughts as much as simple uncertainty."

Fey'lya nodded once, "Fair enough. The objective here is not to destroy any _one_ thing, not yet anyway, but to accumulate the power to do so later. Right now the power is in sowing uncertainty, creating the wider power base. When my plans come to fruition, I _will_ be President of the New Republic; the new Jedi Order will be cast off of Coruscant, and out of our galaxy if I can make it so. The Bothan people and the rest of the nonhuman species, which outnumber humans by three to one, as of the last New Republic-wide census, will finally ascend to their rightful place in the order of things and our enemies the humans, will feed off of whatever scraps we decide to give them just like we and every other nonhuman did while under their rule for so long."

Koth spoke, "A goal in which I and many, many others hold to as well but if you remember, the Diversity Alliance had the same goal and look what happened to it."

Fey'lya said, "A valid point Koth, a valid point indeed. I take responsibility for that mad-woman Nolaa Tarkona. I underestimated her insanity, thought it wasn't nearly so fully developed as it turned out it was, she wanted genocide, to eradicate humanity, I merely want humanity put it its collective place as a species. But though she failed to achieve her overall goal, she did succeed in showing just how near the surface most people's speciesism really is."

Koth nodded his head in acceptance and removed a PADD from a utility pocket, entered a coded sequence and said, "By your command, Councilor, or should I say, Mr. President."

Fey'lya chuckled mirthlessly, "One thing at a time. Set the plan in motion." A final sequence keyed in and the PADD emitted a tone for 'command implemented' and then emitted a higher pitched whine that set both Fey'lya and Koths' teeth on edge as it deleted its memory core first then all of its circuitry died a slightly smoky electronic death as the display faded out.

"It is done," said Koth."

**Coruscant, in the home of Ryu Jayks, Residential Sector**

Kenod Jayks, 20, arrived home after working up a tremendous sweat at the family Teräs Käsi dojo. Prior to that, he had attended his first solo mission briefing for the Jedi Order. With his dark brown hair grown long and tied back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck and still wearing his training gi from his workout he resembled less a fully trained Jedi who had just faced his Trials two months before, and more like a fighter from the GFC, the Galactic Fight Commission, after a hard win. He felt that he was close to summoning a kinitite hadoken like his father and grandfather before him but something was missing.

As he entered the kitchen area and poured himself a glass of water, one of the family droids, Warbler, woke up from his sleep mode. Rolling over next to Kenod he warbled a question. Also like his father, grandfather and grandmother before him, Kenod could understand Warbler's binary speech through the Force. He said, "Yea Warbler, something is bugging me a little. Would you please play the audio file of Grandpa Ronin, specifically his thoughts on the kinitite hadoken?" Another burbled question from Warbler made Kenod laugh. "No Warbler, I'm not going to let one fly in the house, I just need to hear his voice again and his thoughts, that's all."

Warbler followed Kenod into the main living room of the rather spartan yet homey apartment and pulled up the relevant audio file on the holoplayer in the center of the room. Kenod took a deep drink from his glass and then set it down on an end table as he sat down on the couch and closed his eyes to listen to his Grandfather's voice again like he had so many times before. Ronin Jayks's voice sounded, "_The kinitite hadoken is, I believe, one of, if not _the _ultimate expression of one's unity with the Force. Unlike Sith Lightning which is created by tapping the darkest hatred within the Dark Side, the hadoken is created by life. Using my own life energy like a primer from a slugthrower's projectile, my ki triggers the ambient life energy around me to give a little of itself. This energy is easily replaced by the natural cycle of life and is not missed. Using my arms and hands like magnets, only instead of ferrous metal particles, I'm attracting life energy, collecting it, focusing it between my hands and focusing my intent. The Force is perceived by every Jedi, whether they be Padawan, Knight or Master, differently. I have read accounts given to me by Luke that verify this beyond any doubt. Some perceive it as threads that tie everything together, others as waves like one would see on a sandy beach as the tides come and go. As for me, I perceive the Force as blue orbs of all sizes as they flow into my arms and hands."_

As Kenod continued listening, he felt directed by the Force to stand in the center of the room. Meanwhile, a group of three beings exited the turbolift at the end of the hall outside the apartment itself. The Bothan had already blinded all the Security systems on this floor while the Falleen and Barabel were the muscle. Intelligent muscle to be sure, but muscle all the same. They entered and stealthily made their way towards the door. The Bothan said, "Remember our instructions. We are only allowed to hurt him a little. A few cuts deep enough to scar badly, maybe a broken limb or two, but nothing fatal. The plan is too young yet to allow that. Understood?" The Falleen and Barabel both hissed a quiet assent

Inside the apartment, Kenod continued listening to his Grandfather's voice, "_Assume a neutral stance with your weight evenly distributed on both feet, breathe deeply and evenly in through your nose and out through your mouth. Smoothly rotate your arms in a circle just barely larger than the height of your head and torso and open yourself to the Force." _As Kenod did so, he began to feel a tingling sensation at his fingertips that slowly made its way down his arms and into his tanden, his belly, where they began to coalesce. _"If you approach this focusing technique cold, say, just as you begin your daily training regimen, you will have to hold it upwards of thirty standard minutes. If on the other hand, you do it after a solid workout when the Ki and Force are working synergistically, or in a critical moment during a fight as my son Ryu has done, it may only take a minute or less. You will begin to see multi-colored streaks cross your field of vision, these are your intentions, and this is good. Now focus your intentions on one point, one place in time and space and _feel_ the Force around you."_

Kenod continued to follow his grandfather's words and saw the streaks but knew them for what they were now, his intentions, and his goal of the moment. Always before he couldn't bring his thoughts into line on one point, but now he did as he felt the energy coalesce. Warbler seeing the energy manifest on all his sensors disengaged his data arm and ran for his recharge nook like a MSE droid.

The three nonhumans arrived at the main entrance to the Jayks home and prepared to enter. Drawing their blasters and setting them for low stun so that their target would still be conscious to feel the pain and fear that was about to be inflicted upon him. As a group they paused so the Bothan could slice the access code to the door. Pausing again because they heard something like a small power coupling begin to overload they opened the door and quickly charged in.

**Coruscant, rebuilt Jedi Temple, a general purpose training room.**

Ryu Jayks stopped his class in mid-kata as he felt the Force warn him. Turning to the nearest window and dialing it to full transparency from its tinted state, he looked out towards his home in the far, far distance. Enhancing his vision with the Force, he saw a very familiar blue glow shimmering from the windows. To himself he said, '_My son . . . Kenod is in danger! Wait . . . there's something else. He's about to cut loose with a kinitite but he's unaware of the immediate threat. I must go to him.' _Returning his vision to normal and turning away from the window, Ryu saw his class looking on at him in concern. Pointing to his primary assistant instructor, he said, "Take the class. The Force is in motion and I must go." With a Burst of Speed, Ryu was out of the training room and moving towards the repulsor craft bay. Only the fact that most everyone else in his way was Force Sensitive and felt him coming prevented any person-to-person collisions. "_Son, I'm on my way."_

**Somewhere in hyperspace**

Shaznia Dree-Jayks, 'Shazi' to her closest friends was almost asleep in the cubicle that was her room on the transport she had embarked upon and looking forward to getting home and seeing her husband and children again. She had been on a mission for the Jedi and her assignment was complete and successful but it had kept her away for almost two months. She had seen her son Kenod complete his Trials and be promoted to full Jedi Knight and then had to leave on her mission shortly thereafter. For a moment she was asleep and then she sat up ramrod straight on her bed as the Force spoke to her and she thought, '_My son! Kenod is in danger but there's nothing I can do for him. Oh Force help him. Don't take my son away from me please!"_' Leaving her room Shazi made her way forward to the door separating the passenger compartments from the cockpit which was locked from the inside as per regulation.

A steward came up to her, "Ma'am please return to your room at this time." Shazi did a Force scan of the man and picked up on his own desire to return home to Coruscant. The steward saw the lightsaber on Shazi's belt and refrained from calling for Security as Shazi said, "Please let me speak to the Captain for a moment. One of my children is in danger and I have to get home!" The steward, thinking to his own family made a decision that might cost him his job and said, "I don't know what the problem is, but as one parent to another and even though I shouldn't, I can understand the desire to _do _something even when you can't." Moments later, the Captain was in the companionway standing in front of Shazi, "I've met a Jedi here and there in my travels so I'll take your concern at face value and see if I can squeeze a little more speed out of the hyperdrive but it won't do much." Shazi nodded her head and said, "I understand Captain and thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope the steward who called you doesn't get into any trouble." The Captain smiled and said,"Call? What call, I needed to use the 'fresher anyway." Scarcely two minutes later, Shazi felt the speed increase.

**Kashyyyk**

Gabrielle Jayks, 17, and the Padawan learner of Mara Jade-Skywalker was meditating in the room adjoining her Master's in a hotel on Kashyyyk. The Jade Shadow had set down on Kashyyyk for unexpected repairs on its way back to the Temple after concluding a favor for Mara's former employer, Talon Karrde, so Mara turned the trip into another training journey for her Padawan. They were planning on accompanying a Wookie hunting party to the mid-levels of the jungle world the arboreal Wookies called home the next day. In the dark levels where sometimes even Wookies feared to tread, Mara had planned on instructing Gabrielle in still another aspect of the Force and have her stay in the mid-levels for a full day and night by herself to gain more understanding of how the Force links all life together and how one's eyes can deceive them. Gabrielle's meditation shattered as she felt the threat to her older brother. Standing up she was about to knock on the door adjoining her room to Mara's when Mara opened the door and stood there; "What is it Gabrielle? I felt you lose your meditation." Gabrielle said, "Master, I have to get to the nearest Holonet and call home! My brother is in danger. More than that I don't know, all I do know is that I have to call home and talk to my Mom or Dad or better yet Kenod, just so I know he's okay."

Mara thought to herself, '_Once, long ago, when I was the Emperor's Hand, I would have thought this kind of concern beneath me and of no possible interest unless it furthered Palpatine's cause somehow. Then I had to go and meet the real Luke Skywalker, not the jumped up boogeyman that the Emperor instructed me to kill. I'll have to thank my Farmboy in an extra special way next time I see him for showing me the truth and figuratively beating me over the head with it until I accepted it, and his marriage proposal.' _Out loud she said, "Chewbacca's home is near here and I remember hearing something about him visiting his family. I'm sure he'll let us use his personal unit. Let's go."

**Coruscant, Jedi Council Chamber**

Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master and current head of the new Jedi Order was speaking, "Now to our final piece of new business, the final selection of Jedi to be promoted to Master at this point in time." Just as he finished his sentence, everyone in the room suddenly looked in the general direction of Ryu Jayks home as the Force spoke to each member of the Council. All eyes or other sensory organs turned to face the same way. Out loud, someone said, "What the . . .?"

**Coruscant, in the home of Ryu Jayks, Residential Sector**

Kenod focused the kinitite into a tight and _very_ energetic ball between his hands at his waist. As the three would be attackers charged into the main room, all three skid to a halt, almost falling over each other at the sight before them of the young human in a sweat soaked gi holding a ball of swirling blue energy between his hands. The Bothan only had time for one remark, "We are _so_ kriffing stanged."

Kenod was aware now of the would-be attackers in front of him as the final streak of rainbow-like intent streaked across his vision horizontally. Shifting his weight forward into a zenkutsu-dachi, he yelled out, "HADOKEN!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Captain's Ready Room, U.S.S. Titan, somewhere in the Alpha Quadrant**

_Captain's Personal Log, Stardate 46571.5, U.S.S. Titan, Captain William T. Riker Commanding._

"_The Titan is preparing to warp to Gateway Station and from there through the Rift into the Buffer Zone created around the Hub Station that is jointly patrolled by New Republic, Imperial Remnant, and Federation vessels. As of this stardate, it's been about four years since the Treaty was ratified. Trade is now becoming common between us, various science and technology exchanges have been made and to all appearances, all parties seem satisfied. For instance, Tricorder and PADD technology has been circulating throughout the New Republic and Imperial Remnant and found quite the following especially with explorers and bureaucrats alike." Likewise, Bacta Tanks, a few droids and some hyperdrive technology has crossed over to our side of the Rift. Surprisingly, the Klingons and Romulans have not expressed much interest in crossing over. Should either government attempt to slip a cloaked vessel through the Rift, the tightest sensor screen I've ever seen is in place just shy of the event horizon of the Rift to make sure no cloaked vessels try. I don't think even a cloaked fly could get through without permission. At any rate, the Titan was one of the first starships to be retrofit with one FX model droid, one 2-1B model, and two Bacta Tanks in our Sickbay. The droids are to serve as emergency replacements in the extreme case of loss of both the organic medical staff and the EMH. We haven't had to test them yet. While in our last dry-dock, both of the ship's warp nacelles were removed and replaced with a new set of nacelles that can deploy a set of hyperdrive engines as well as still go to warp just in case the hyperdrive doesn't work as planned." The Chief Engineer, Commander Sarin and his Assistant Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Commander Mason Kovatch have assured me that there are so many safeties built into the new engines that the worst thing that could happen is that our nacelles would tear themselves free of the ship but still leave us with full impulse and emergency communications for distress call purposes. Chief Sarin says that there is only a 13.235584993% chance of this happening. Even for a Vulcan, Chief Sarin seems uncomfortable with this but accepts it as the price of new, to us anyway, technology. If it works, then it's possible that hyperdrives could replace warp drives. Only the Warp Theory specialists know for sure, though what we _do _know is that warp speed has stressed the fabric of space, badly in places, and that is why Starfleet has had the Warp 5 speed limit in place except for time of war, for several years now." Supposedly, hyperdrive is faster than warp drive but when I tried to read up on the science and math for the purposes of comparison, all I got out of it was one hell of a headache. I understand the basic concept of course. Every Starfleet officer on the Command Track does or they don't get onto the Command Track in the first place, but let's just say that I'm not entirely sanguine about my ship being the first one to sport the new engines but I think it's more an attempt to do a friendly favor for me since my former Captain is now the Ambassador-at-Large to the New Republic and my wife is in the middle of her Jedi training. Ever since the Titan delivered the personnel for the Federation Embassy on Coruscant, the Titan has made once a year visits to Coruscant that just happen to coincide with Deanna's and my wedding anniversary. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about being able to see my wife at all, but if I believed that this was purely a coincidence, I would need to have my head examined for a case of terminal naivety." As of now, the Titan is only waiting for one last item, a passenger, with enough clout to get us to serve as a personal transport. The fact that our passenger just happens to be my mother-in-law, Lwaxanna Troi, is purely coincidental. . . . In a pig's eye!"_

Captain William T. Riker closed his Personal Log just as the door chime to his ready room sounded, "Yes?"

The Titan's Number One, Commander Harry Kim entered the Captain's Ready Room and said, "Captain, you said you wanted to be informed when Ambassador Troi's shuttle was about to rendezvous. Her pilot just contacted us and is about to initiate transport of the Ambassador."

Riker nodded his head, "Finally! Now we can get underway. Please meet her in Transporter Room 2 and convey my compliments and my regrets that I couldn't meet her myself but I'll be on the Bridge finalizing our departure. When you do, escort her to the main conference room through the back door and I'll meet her there once we go to Warp."

Harry nodded and said, "Understood sir, but if I may be so bold, why the pomp and circumstance? Mother-in-Law jokes aside; she _is_ the Ambassador from Betazed after all."

"Riker smiled easily, "Have you ever _met_ Lwaxanna Troi, _Daughter_ of the _Fifth_ House, Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx, and Heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed?" When Harry answered in the negative, Riker said, "After you do, then you'll have your answer Harry. You have your orders." Harry was about to apologize when Riker said, "No apologies Commander, you haven't offended me at all. I'm just looking forward to seeing my wife for this year and I guess I'm just a little resentful of anything that delays it is all. You're a good Number One Harry. If I haven't told you before, I'm telling you now. I appreciate you looking out for my career and when you get your own command someday, and you will, you'll make a great Captain."

Harry couldn't stop the huge grin as he said, "Thank you very much Captain. I appreciate the faith you've shown me since I first came aboard after debrief and a _much_ delayed vacation after my transfer from Voyager. Some Captains wouldn't even grant me an interview for the position of Number One. They thought I was too young and even with Admiral Janeway's and Captain Chakotay's performance reviews in my record, didn't think I was ready for posting to a ship the size of the Titan."

Riker said, "What you and Admiral Janeway and the rest of Voyager's crew went through in the Delta Quadrant was hell Harry. It would have aged anyone far beyond their years and to have to blend crews with a Maquis Raider that you were getting ready to blow out of space couldn't have been easy either. Personally, I think I was lucky to get you when I did Harry. Now, please see to our passenger and I'll meet you on the Bridge later."

In a show of genuine respect, Harry Kim straightened to attention and rendered an old fashioned naval salute, "Aye, Aye sir," performed an Academy-perfect about face and left the Ready Room.

**Transporter Room 2**

Harry arrived in Transporter Room 2 after first changing into his dress uniform, and stood before the steps coming down from the transport platform. Turning to the Duty Transport technician, he nodded and the blue-skinned Bolian touched a few controls and then ran his hand down the initiation panels. Moments later the transporter cycle completed and the sole occupant on the platform was just completing a sentence, ". . . be treated this way. I am _Daughter_ of the _Fifth_ House, the Holder of the Sacred Chalice Rixx and Heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed!" Lwaxanna Troi looked around, momentarily speechless, got her bearings and turned to look down, figuratively and literally at Harry.

"Welcome aboard the U.S.S. Titan, Ambassador Troi. I am Commander Harry Kim, First Officer, and it's my pleasure to welcome you aboard. Captain Riker sends his compliments and his regrets that he could not be here to meet you personally, but he's finalizing our departure for Gateway Station and the Rift."

Stepping down from the platform Lwaxanna sighed, "You may dispense with the pleasantries Commander. While I appreciate the polite and politic greeting, the only reason you're here and not my Son-in-Law is because he doesn't want to deal with me right away. I have that effect on people sometimes. Did William inform you that I'm a full telepath?"

"No ma'am he didn't but I don't find that uncomfortable at all due to my experiences in the Delta Quadrant," said Harry.

Lwaxanna smiled, "I like you already Commander. You keep your thoughts tightly focused for one so young. Your Bolian crewman over there though . . ." Turning to the crewman in question, she said, "You should be ashamed of yourself! I'm old enough to be your Grandmother after all!" The Bolian's blue skinned face darkened noticeably but he refrained from voicing any denials due to the status of the speaker and just focused more intently on his duties. Looking back to Harry she said, "I assume that William is having me politely buried in Guest Quarters until he's ready to receive me? Well, let's be about it then. Would you be a dear and help me with my bags please?"

Harry turned to an alcove that until then Lwaxanna had assumed was another control panel and said, "J9 Mover, activate."

When the Labor Droid activated and stepped from its recharge station and moved towards the Transporter Platform, Lwaxanna nearly jumped back into the Transporter, "Eeeeaaaaaggghhhh! What . . . is that . . . _thing_?"

Harry said, "Don't worry Ambassador, it won't hurt you. Technically it's a J9 Walking Labor Droid but we just call it a J9 Mover. It's programmed for general labor like moving cargo, inspecting the outer hull of a ship, or in this case, baggage carrier. J9, please take Ambassador Troi's bags to the V.I.P. quarters on Deck 10 Starboard." The droid acknowledged its orders and picked up the bags in question, though there was a momentarily noticeable sound of straining servos and walked out of the Transporter Room.

"Lwaxanna said, "Are there any more of those on our way? It is rather unnerving to see a total automaton like that."

Harry said, "There's one just like it in every Transporter Room on the Titan and several in the Cargo Bays. They're Class 5 Specialist droids and not sentient. So long as you give them clear directions, they're total workhorses and won't stop until the job is done. They're becoming a common sight in spaceports all over the Federation. They're cheap and easy to replace though there is a growing tendency for their owners to modify them versus replace them. When we cross the Rift and get to Coruscant, you'll see that droids are quite literally everywhere doing practically every kind of job imaginable. If you'll follow me, I'll take you to the main Conference Room just off the Bridge. Captain Riker told me to tell you that he would join you there as soon as we go to Warp."

On the way to the Bridge, Lwaxanna was insistent that Harry change back into his regular duty uniform. After doing so, he took her to the Conference Room and left her there to inform Riker that she was waiting. After entering the Bridge and taking his seat next to Riker, he said, "The Ambassador is waiting in the Conference Room just as you instructed sir. Oh, and I have the answer you said I would. Although I'm certain she doesn't mean to be, she can be a little tiresome. After insisting that I change back into my duty uniform, she bombarded me with questions about Gateway Station, the Rift, Hub Station and Coruscant itself all the way to the Conference Room. I have to say though, I thought they were very good questions. She got the maximum information possible in the least amount of time. I see how she's such a good diplomat."

Riker smiled at the accurate assessment, "She is that Number One, and more. One time aboard the Enterprise D she found out about an assassination plot on the part of a pair of supposed negotiators from a race that was petitioning to join the Federation with one cursory telepathic scan. She practically led the Resistance against the Dominion single-handedly through sheer force of will after Betazed was invaded during the War. That and a hundred other things make her a very formidable woman when she wants to be."

Harry said, "I can believe it Captain, and I've only just met her. I can't imagine what it must be like to be her Son-in-Law."

Riker smiled at the implied joke and changed the subject as he turned in his chair to face forward, "Helm, what's our arrival time to Gateway Station at Warp 3?"

The Navigator, an Ensign made the calculation on her controls as well as in her head at the same time and said, "At Warp 3, ETA will be six days. At Warp 5, three days."

Riker sat back in his chair and mentally wondered if he could put up with Lwaxanna's slightly domineering but still well intended presence for that long and decided. "What if we use the new hyperdrive engines that were installed at our last dry-dock?"

The Ensign took on a blank look for a moment and sheepishly said, "I'm sorry sir, I forgot to factor for that. I'll make the calculations now."

Riker let a note of disapproval enter his voice as he said, "See that you do Ensign. In the future I hope you'll not make the same mistake again." Implied yet not said were all the possible ramifications to her career for letting down her Captain, as she redoubled her efforts to get the information he wanted.

When she was done, she double checked her figures and said in a voice that was clearly disbelieving, "That can't be right but I've checked and rechecked my figures and they come up the same."

Riker said, "What figures would that be Ensign?" The Ensign checked her figures again, got the same answer and said, "According to this, it will only take about 26.1 hours to get to Gateway Station via hyperspace versus Warp."

Riker and Kim looked at each other, to the Ensign and back to each other as Harry said, "Why not try it Captain?"

Riker answered, "Why not indeed Number One, I guess Engineering will finally get the field test they want."

Out loud Riker said, "Bridge to Engineering."

"Engineering, Sarin here. How can I help you Captain?"

Riker said, "Commander Sarin, I've decided to test the hyperdrive engines if you're amenable, how long until they're online?"

There was a minute hesitation before Sarin's voice answered back, "By the time the Helm has the coordinates from the navi-computer, we'll be ready Captain. Engineering out."

**Main Engineering**

"Wahoo!," said a clearly elated Lt. Commander Mason Kovatch, upon receiving the startup orders for the hyperdrive, and going to their dedicated control panel and beginning the startup procedure. "Ach, I be waitin' fer the orders to fire you up me beauties! Ye'd think the Captain would o' done it long afore now but you canna blame him for being cautious." At that moment Chief Engineer Sarin walked up behind his assistant.

"Mr. Kovatch. I realize you are the great-grand nephew, by three generations, to the Starfleet legend that is Montgomery Scott but it would be the logical decision to restrain your emotions and focus on the task at hand. This will be the first field test for a ship Titan's size, to go to hyperspace and it would be most disagreeable if a minor miscalculation caused us to fly through a star or bounce too close to a supernova due to your zeal in operating these engines. Do you not agree?"

As the hyperdrive engines began to come online, Kovatch turned away from the controls and said, "Ach, donna be . . . er I mean, don't worry Chief Sarin, I'm on it. But surely even _you_ have to admit to some . . . enthusiasm about getting to try them out?"

Sarin contemplated a moment and said, "Enthusiasm is an emotion from which I do not suffer from, thankfully, but I will confess to curiosity on the subject. The results of this field test will be . . . fascinating." Having worked with Chief Engineer Sarin for the last four years gave Kovatch the ability to recognize when Sarin would give as much ground as he would on any topic, least of all one involving any kind of emotional displays.

Chief Sarin said, "I will be on the Bridge monitoring from the Engineering panel there. You have the Engines, Mr. Kovatch."

As Sarin left Main Engineering, Mason Kovatch turned back to his controls, "Wahoo! I been waitin' for the orders to fire you up me beauties!"

**Bridge**

"What's old is new again."

"What's that you say Harry?" asked Captain Riker.

Commander Harry Kim answered, "Sorry Sir, I was just thinking out loud, 'What's old is new again'. I was remembering when I was at Academy and going through my 'Starships, A History' classes, about how the first Warp Drives were so turbulent upon going to warp that many of the seats on the Bridge would have actual safety harnesses. By the time of Kirk's Enterprise, the armrests would fold over your legs to make safety restraints. But with the perfection of the Inertial Dampeners, those restraints were soon phased out. Now here we are a couple of hundred years into FTL travel and our seats have those same restraints again so, what's old is new again."

Riker chuckled and said, "How right you are Number One, how right you are." Turning slightly in his Captain's Chair to look up at his Operations officer, Riker said, "Mr. Renfar, increase power to the inertial dampener and structural integrity fields by ten percent. When you finish that, put me on ship-wide please."

"Aye-Aye Captain. Done and done."

The ship-wide intercom chimed, "Attention all hands. This is your Captain. In approximately five minutes time, we will be using the hyperdrive for the first time. Please secure all small objects and cease all tasking until we make the jump into hyperspace. If your workstation has a chair, use it and your seat restraints as well for safety sake. While the hyperdrive has been vetted by the finest minds in Starfleet Engineering as safe for use, there is always an element of risk when using new technology. I have also ordered the inertial dampeners and structural integrity fields strengthened for an additional safety margin. Should this field test be successful, we'll be to our destination at Gateway Station in a little over twenty-six hours. Thank you for your cooperation. Captain Riker, out."

**Various departments and crew quarters ship wide**

All over the ship, crew increased their pace. Tasks were saved in the computer, small objects placed in secure containers and crew taking seats and moving the armrests of their various shaped chairs over their legs, if they had them, and locking them into place. Many crew having seen restraints like they were now using only in historical visuals, entertainment holos, or starship museums when they got to sit at the Crew Stations. Meanwhile, outside the ship, the impulse engines faded to standby as did the warp nacelles. On the ends of both nacelles, as a command sequence from main engineering coursed through circuitry and command pathways, they split into two banks of four and finished their power-up sequence.

Back on the Bridge, helm control locked in the coordinates from the navi-computer and the Ensign held her hand over the virtual levers much like the ones on a transporter control. In a firm voice she said, "All systems are go on your command Captain."

Riker unconsciously raised his hand and pointed into space as he said, "Engage," and the Ensign pulled back on the virtual levers.

The hyperdrive engines flashed. There was a flicker of pseudo-motion and the ship was gone in a blink of the eye.

**Hyperspace**

The Ensign at the Helm ran through a complete set of function checks and said, "All systems are functioning within normal parameters Captain. ETA to Gateway Station is approximately twenty-six hours from now . . . mark.

Riker let out the breath he didn't realize he held until that moment, opened up the armrest/restraint on his chair, stood up and tugged his uniform down in another unconscious mannerism and said, "Outstanding. You have the Conn, Mr. Kim. I'll be in the Conference Room."

As Riker walked towards the door to the Conference Room, Harry stood, "Aye sir, I have the Conn. Helm, continue on course to Gateway Station."

Turning to the Engineering station, he said, "Chief Sarin, how's everything checking out from your station?"

Sarin said, "As the Helm indicated sir, all systems are functioning within normal parameters. In fact, they are well within normal parameters. With your permission, I'd like to return to Main Engineering and monitor everything more closely from there."

Harry nodded, "Permission granted Mr. Sarin. Please convey my thanks to your engineering crew for a flawless first field test of the hyperdrive."

Sarin nodded his head and decided not to say anything of the illogic of complimenting a crew for doing its job, and entered the turbolift.

**Conference Room**

Riker entered the Conference Room and saw his Mother-in-Law staring out of the viewport at the black on white speckled tunnel that was hyperspace. Using the ancient Betezed he'd studied, he said, "Many greetings honored Mother. Your journey was peaceful?"

Lwaxanna smiled and said in the same language, "Your pronunciation is improving Son." Switching back to English, she turned to face Riker, "I'm surprised that you have come to see me so soon after my arrival. I was half expecting you to plead 'Ship's Business' until I was on the Transporter to beam down to Coruscant."

Riker walked over to the food synthesizer, ordered a ginseng tea for her and a Coruscant caf for himself, sat down more or less across from Lwaxanna as she sat down as well and answered, "In truth, I thought about it but decided against it. Here's another truth for you, while it's true that you and I will never be friends, I swore to myself to restrain my apathy towards you for Deanna's sake. She is my wife, your daughter, and I love her with all my being whether or not you choose to believe it. The Force willing, Deanna will be the mother of our children, your grandchildren."

Lwanxanna contemplated what was said, "William, I have never doubted your love for my daughter and I apologize for making you ever think I did. But coming from a matriarchal society as I do, makes it difficult to believe what males of any species say. Usually a simple, non-invasive telepathic scan allows for the reading of a typical male like an open book. An open book the size of a strip of gold-pressed latinum, but an open book just the same. When we first met, you weren't so easy to read but it could be done. Now, you're a blank spot to me. Why is that?"

"The last time Deanna and I were together, she taught me some mental shielding techniques that anyone, Force Sensitive or not, telepathic or not, could do. I've been practicing. As I understand it, this will the first time you and Deanna have seen each other since the wedding?" Riker said.

"Yes, it will be. What can you tell me of this Jedi Training she's undergoing? The few letters I've received don't say much other than she's healthy and happy learning about the Force."

Riker shook his head, "Deanna has mentioned a little to me. Some of it I understand, most I don't. What I have gathered is that she has expanded her powers by at least double. You won't be able to sense her at all now unless she wants you to. Deanna has told me that from time to time, as she was growing up, you would project your thoughts to her whether she wanted to hear them or not. I'm pretty sure if you tried that now, you would be rebuffed like a cometary fragment from the Titan's navigational shields and get a headache to boot, so I would advise you to restrain yourself somewhat."

Lwaxanna's face darkened a little as she said, "Mind your tone William. As the Matriarch of the Fifth House, I could annul your wedding to my daughter with one subspace transmission and also file a complaint with Starfleet Command and have you reprimanded. You'd never see a Commodore's Plaque if I do."

Riker heaved a deep mental sigh. The moment had come just as he knew it would when he married Deanna. He knew that one day there would be a reckoning of sorts between Lwaxanna Troi and himself. Even though he had followed Betezoid tradition to the letter concerning marriage, had two weddings, one with the crew of the Enterprise E just before his taking command of the Titan and one on Betezed wearing nothing more that his beard and a smile, had even taken the Troi name, he knew that one day, there would be a confrontation, and it looked as if today would be the day.

Taking a sip of his Caf he said, "You could but you won't, because if you do, you know that Deanna will _never_ speak to you again. You could also file your complaint but you and I both know that though you have enough clout to get the Titan to serve as your taxi and even though you have friends in high places all through the Federation, you have just as many, if not more enemies who would like nothing better that to see you fall on your face. I was trying to render a courtesy by telling you the likely outcome of your first meeting with Deanna. Maybe I could have been more tactful in my comment just now but I know that Betezoids value plain, brute-force honesty above all other things. I have tried to respect your traditions to the best of my ability, now you can respect mine for a change. I will not be bullied by you any longer, nor will I tolerate you threatening my marriage to your daughter or my career just because I won't kowtow to you the way Mister Homm would have. I've said what I've come to say. I'll get Security to show you to your quarters now Ambassador Troi."

As Riker stood up to leave, the silence was thick, like a San Francisco fogbank. There was a subtle change of power in the room. Lwaxanna broke the silence first, "Wait William, please." When Riker did so, she continued, "You're right William. I could do what I just said, and you would be correct in Deanna's likely reaction and the reaction of Starfleet. I finally see the strength that Deanna saw in you all those years ago when you were temporarily assigned to Betezed. I wish to formally apologize for the offense I have just given."

Mentally, Riker had expected to have a very quiet and highly satisfied gloat over having scored a moral victory such as this but instead, he found the moment anything but satisfying . . . positively pyrrhic in fact. She had given, now he must, or there would never be any peace between them. In ancient Betezed, he said, "Apology accepted honored Mother." Switching back to English he said, "Are you too tired right now or would you like to swing by the holodeck? Deanna sent a hologram of one of her lightsaber training sessions. I think you might find it intriguing."

Lwaxanna visibly relaxed and said, "I would like to see it yes."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Ryu sped through the air-traffic lanes of Coruscant like a man possessed. Like his Father before him, Ryu had never assumed he was anything more than a man. A man with the gift of the Force, but a man just the same, and now this man feared for the safety of his only son. From the moment he had entered the traffic flow, he had shoved the throttle to maximum and tore through the air, headband flying straight back, juking and weaving, in, around, over or under any other vehicles in his way.

Any moment now, he knew that air-traffic control would contact him and tell him to decrease speed or it would dispatch patrol units to force him down, but he didn't care at the moment. Trusting unwaveringly in the Force to guide him safely, onward he flew. The speeder's comlink crackled to life as he knew it would, but Ryu turned it off before the voice coming from the unit could do more than identify itself. Moments later, he heard the siren of the patrol units start up behind him, causing even more of the traffic to get out of his way.

Coming at last to the building with his home, he decelerated as quickly as the airbrakes could bite into the air. A patrol unit had responded from another sector nearby and sat waiting on the landing deck reserved for tenant parking. Ryu jumped clear of the speeder a moment before it came to a complete stop and landed on the deck with a tuck and roll before getting to his feet and started towards the door leading to the turbolifts going up. The New Republic Peace Officer drew their weapon and fired a blue-ringed stun blast that Ryu deflected easily with his blue-bladed lightsaber using Form V, also known as Shien. The officer crumpled to the landing deck, stunned by their own blast, as Ryu walked on by, extinguishing his blade but kept it in hand, ready for anything once he got to his floor.

Entering the foyer he could see that one of the lifts was already on his floor. Using the Force again, he pressed the call button for another one. The doors opened as he walked through the foyer and pressing the button for his floor, waited for a small eternity, but in reality was only a few seconds as the lift brought him to his destination. Upon exiting on his floor and moving towards his door, he could hear the building alarms going off and see the emergency warning lights flicker through the corridor.

Nearing the remains of his front door, Ryu edged cautiously to the entry way and did a Force scan of the interior. Sensing four lifesigns, three of them in varying degrees of unconciousness, calmed him considerably. Entering his door, Ryu saw a Bothan, a Falleen and a Barabel, one sprawled on the floor, the other one on its side, up against the wall. The last would-be attacker had been knocked through the door of a closet next to the door. This one, the Bothan, had clearly taken the brunt of the kinitite-hadoken. His shirt slightly shredded, the chest fur underneath was matted and a little singed around the edges. Of the three, only the Barabel and Falleen were beginning to twitch and there was something about the Falleen that seemed familiar, some vague memory or other. Ryu would think on it later but was more concerned for his son at the moment. Peripherally, he could see that the Bothan was probably headed for a bacta-dip to repair the concussion to its ribs, sternum and body in general.

Looking around, he found Kenod on his knees catching his breath as the high altitude wind blew in through some broken windows and stirred up what little smoke and dust there was as a result of the blast. Clipping his lightsaber back on his belt, Ryu knelt down and gathered his son in a strong hug. Kenod looked around and focused on his father, "I did it dad! I did it! I can summon a hadoken at will now."

Ryu couldn't help but feel a small surge of pride mixed with a healthy dose of parental concern in his voice as he said, "That you can. Rest easy son, you've had a busy day. You're fortunate to be in one piece. I felt you focus your power clear from the Temple grounds and got over here as quickly as I could."

As he helped his son to his feet, the first of the emergency medical personnel arrived and started taking stock of the scene just as another NRPO walked up and spoke, "Citizen, though you are Jedi, it is still expected that you obey established traffic patterns and laws. Admittedly, had we known that you were responding to a family emergency, your reckless disregard could be overlooked, but then you had to stun another Peace Officer. I'm afraid you'll have to come with me and make a statement at the station and then you will be held until tomorrow when you can be arraigned. Out of respect, I will ask you to come with me of your own free will, but I will arrest you if I must. Am I clear, sir?"

Ryu checked Kenod once more and then turned to the Officer, "I understand completely and will comply. For what it's worth, I apologize sincerely for my actions, but before I go with you, I want to question the Barabel or the Falleen; and before you ask, yes, I will press charges against them for what is clearly on unlawful entry into my home and the attempted assault on my son Kenod Jayks."

The Officer just finished listening to an update over his comlink on his helmet and replied, "Your request has been recorded and noted. I have just been informed that the two persons in question are conscious but have already requested representation and are refusing to speak. The Bothan who has been extracted from your garment storage space is being taken to the nearest Medical Center under guard. It seems that he has lost the ability to speak Basic. The preliminary medical evaluation says that trauma like his is commonly accompanied by short term and sometimes long term memory loss, especially for languages."

At that moment, Warbler emerged from where he had taken shelter and came to stand at Ryu's side all the while whistling and beeping at the Officer. The Officer was clearly listening to a translation over his comlink and said, "If you do have holo-evidence in your memory, you can come with us and provide said evidence for your Master's statement and at his arraignment."

Kenod was about to speak in his Father's defense but was silenced with a gesture before he could speak. Ryu said, "Kenod, go to the Temple for tonight since the house is a bit of a mess. Find Master Corran Horn and tell him everything that you can up to this point. He'll know what to do."

Recognizing that there would be no swaying his Father, Kenod nodded his head, "Yes Father. It will be as you say."

Gesturing to the door, the Officer followed Ryu, Warbler behind them both, out and down to the landing platform and into a larger transport.

**Med-center, Jedi Temple**

Two hours later, Kenod was speaking to a split-screen image of his Mother and Sister while one of the Healers was going over his scans that were taken shortly after he arrived. With him was the one time Correlian Security Officer turned Jedi Master, Corran Horn.

Shazi was speaking, "Arrested? What do you mean arrested? He was defending his son the only way he could at the time!"

Corran answered, "Actually Shaznia, he's only being detained, not arrested. There is a difference. A small one albeit, but a difference none the less; and according to what your son has told me, he went of his own accord so as to expedite the matter. I've already been in contact with my sources inside the New Republic Peace Officer Corps. They have Ryu on hologram breaking just about every speed limit on the books, ignoring repeated communications from traffic control and even though he only deflected the stun bolt that was fired at him, I'm not sure that it will matter with the Judge. Even though Ryu has not asked for representation, a bad decision I think, Luke has already gotten Nawarwa Ven, a lawyer that I used to fly with in Rogue Squadron, on the case to make sure that everything is on the up and up. I'm sure that Ryu will be released on his own recognizance before you even clear the Arrival gate at the Spaceport tomorrow. Don't worry. Nawara is a damn good lawyer and I mean that both as a person and a representative of the law."

Gabrielle took the momentary break in the conversation to ask, "How are you doing Kenod? Are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine sis. A little tired and a lot hungry but I remember Grandpa saying that was normal for a hadoken experience; and before you ask, I don't really remember much more than flashes and images. I can just remember seeing the intruders in the foyer at home and then I saw a horizontal streak of color across my line of sight. I can vaguely remember the sensation of the hadoken leaving my hands and flying straight and true. The next thing I remember after that is dad hugging me to him like he thought he might lose me or something. Turning to his Mother's image he said, "Sorry mom, I kind of made a mess of the house."

Shaznia chuckled more out of stress relief than humor and said, "Messes can be cleaned up, doors reinstalled, but a son is irreplaceable. I'm just glad you're alright. I'll be arriving around 1130 hours tomorrow and we can talk again then. What about you Gabrielle? When can you get back home?"

Gabrielle turned away from the visual pick-up a moment and a muffled voice could be heard in the background and then faced the screen on her end again, "Master Mara says she's waiting on a couple of parts from the capital to arrive late tonight and says we should be back en route tomorrow first thing. She's not too happy with the Technicians who last serviced the Shadow; scary woman, my Master. I would _not_ want to be in the boots of those folks when we get back. By all appearances and Chewbacca agrees with the assessment, the parts that failed, while not critical, which is to say that when they failed it wouldn't have destroyed the ship or anything, but they were substandard to say the least. Almost as if they were _meant_ to fail. I think Grandpa Ronin, if he were still around would say, 'Something's rotten in Denmark', I don't know what a Denmark is, but something _is_ rotten. At any rate, we should be home in about two to three days. Master says we'll microjump to the Perlemian Trade Route and ride that all the way to Coruscant."

Shaznia spoke again, "Until then Kenod, be careful and until we see each other again, may the Force be with you and Gabrielle. I love you both.", and signed off.

Gabrielle said, "I love you too. See you soon.", and signed off as well.

Kenod answered, "I will mom. See you both later."

**New Republic Peace Officer Corps Station 17**

Elsewhere, while Kenod was speaking with his mother and sister, Ryu Jayks sat in an interview room with Nawara Ven at his side across from a senior detective, a Cerean man with flowing white beard and an equally long topknot on his conical head, by the name of So Leet sitting across from him plying him with questions.

"So, Jedi Ryu; you admit to breaking several laws and twice as many ordinances regarding speed limit, reckless piloting, eluding law enforcement officers, assault against said officers and to top that off, you demand to question three nonhumans for allegedly breaking into your home and attempting to assault your son, Kenod Jayks who by rights should be sitting in an interview room down the hall from here for assaulting the alleged intruders himself with some kind of heretofore unknown type of energy weapon called a kinitite-hadoken? Have I left anything out or does that about cover it?"

As Ryu took a breath to speak, Nawara stopped him with a gentle touch on the shoulder of a talon of one manicured hand. "My client has made it clear in his statements to the responding Peace Officer and to you here in this room Detective that while he _did_ exceed the speed limit, he at no time was reckless in his piloting thanks to his Force abilities. There was no eluding as that he was already well ahead of any units, and he did _not_ assault any of the uniformed Officers. In fact, the Officer in question should be questioned as to his or her actions. From what I understand so far, it was _your_ uniformed Officer who fired on my client first without any attempt to identify themselves or any attempt to verbally deescalate the situation. My client merely deflected a stun blast fired at him without cause and did little more than inconvenience a trigger-happy person. As to the as you say, "alleged" intruders, you have seen for yourself the hologram taken by my client's astromech droid and it should be clear from that that my client's son was clearly defending himself. It is also a matter of record with the new Jedi Order that so far, only the Jayks family line is capable of the kinitite-hadoken. Therefore, there is no need to concern yourself with it. The Bothan who was struck by it, while he was slightly injured, will recover his physical and linguistic abilities in a short time, or so I have been told. The crime scene investigators have recovered the blaster pistols and vibroblades that were on the intruders' persons or immediate vicinity. Each of these weapons has been matched by fingerprint and DNA trace to each of the intruders, two of which it has been ascertained already have criminal records for petty crimes thicker than the day is long and the Bothan while having no criminal record _is_ assigned to the household staff of a minor functionary of the Bothan Consulate here on Coruscant. In regards to _your_ allegation that my client "demanded" to question the suspects, I will remind you that he has that right since as you should be well aware, the Jedi Order upon it official reconstitution, has been afforded limited police powers wherever they are and can be asked to assist with any investigation if it is in the best judgment of the senior law official present at the time. Since this incident is _directly_ related to the Jedi, or at least two of them, there is no question of improper procedure. Have I left anything out or does that about cover it?"

The Detective's jaw muscles could be seen twitching in irritation as he bit back his initial retort to Nawara's statement.

"Shrewd Counselor Ven, shrewd. Tell me again, just _why_ are you here? I was made to understand that Jedi Ryu never requested representation from you or anyone else for that matter and according to my information; he himself is a former law enforcement officer. Just how did you hear of this matter in the first place?"

Nawara smiled, with an almost feral openness, showing his pointed teeth. The smile stopped just shy of his gleaming red eyes as he said, "I am here at the request of the Jedi Masters Luke Skywalker and Corran Horn. Both are personally acquainted with my client and know that his naturally occurring optimism and faith in the sentient condition can sometimes backfire so they asked me to make sure that he doesn't accidentally say anything to his detriment in his efforts to cooperate fully with this investigation. Since it has been established that my client is willing to accept the consequences of speeding through midday traffic and let's be honest here Detective, that is the only thing you can truly prosecute him for, how about we stop here until the arraignment tomorrow and you release my client on his own recognizance, return his lightsaber to him and allow him to go on his way. I'm sure he would like to see his son again and ensure that he is alright."

The Detective knew that Nawara was right on all counts and chose to save face as he said, "Alright Counselor. You've made your case very well. That being said, you are free to go Jedi Ryu. We have your verbal statement on full spectrum hologram and a copy of your astromech's hologram of the incident. You may retrieve your weapon when you sign out. Good evening then, until tomorrow at your arraignment."

Fifteen minutes later, Ryu was standing outside the station with Nawara as Warbler trundled over to stand at his side. "Thank you Counselor Ven. I appreciate your presence and insight. Luke and Corran were right about me. I probably would have dug myself into a very deep verbal hole all while trying to cooperate. Ironic, isn't it?"

Nawara smiled again only this time it was a genuine one that suffused his naturally pale complexion as he said, "You're very welcome Jedi Ryu. As that I owe Corran Horn several times over for all the times he got an eyeball or squint off my head-tails during the Rebellion, I'm very happy to help out when I can. Besides, Corran speaks well of you and I can see why he does. Your openness and demeanor are truly refreshing to an old rules lawyer like me. Can I give you a lift back to the Temple?"

"That would be greatly appreciated Counselor; and call me Ryu. No need for formality because I think we're going to be friends after this blows over."

Nawara smiled again, "In that case, call me Nawara because I think you're right about becoming friends. Just so you know, I don't think the Judge, whoever it is will do more than assess a rather hefty fine against you for the speeding. I've seen some pretty cut and dried cases in my time and I think this qualifies as one of them. All the same though, I think it might be wise the next time you travel, to either take public transportation or pilot your own speeder about 5 klicks _under_ the posted limit for the next century or so."

Ryu laughed and agreed as he assisted Warbler into the cab and climbed into Nawara's speeder after him.

Back in the Station, the Detective was speaking to his handler over a secure line, "I'm sorry sir. That _human_ got the services of Nawara Ven before I could maneuver him into so many verbal knots that I could have gotten him to admit to attempting to assassinate the President of the Senate. Ven is truly one of the best in the business and after seeing him in action like I did today, I can see why that is so". A moment later he asked with undisguised disgust in his voice, "It is true that he took a _human_ as his mate? How can we achieve our goals if there are human-loving traitors like him among us?"

His handler could only be seen in silhouette on the monitor and their voice distorted electronically, "It is of little consequence. When our goals have been met, Nawara Ven and others like him will have even less of a place in our Order than the humans themselves. The team that was assembled for the attack has been accounted for?"

The Detective said, "Yessir. The two muscle have been released on a technicality and the leader is going to develop an allergy to bacta. Their part in this will never go to court but the case against Jedi Ryu is flimsy at best. He'll get off with a hefty fine and maybe a suspension of his piloting license for a time. It would have been better if the Officer who fired had remembered to switch her weapon to kill but I guess she got too eager. She's a rookie in the Corps. anyway and will be suspended for negligent discharge of her weapon. She can't hurt the cause in any shape, way or form."

The handler nodded its shadowed head and said, "Very good then. Be patient and soon we will take our rightful place of power."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

With a flicker of pseudo-motion, the U.S.S. Titan emerged from hyperspace on the fringe of the control zone of Gateway Station. The twenty-six hour journey had passed like any other day aboard the Titan; save for one difference, Lwaxanna Troi was aboard this time.

A different helmsman said out loud on the Bridge, "Hyperdrive is secure sir. All stations report nominal parameters Captain; no problems to report at this time."

Riker sat in his command chair with Harry next to him in his own seat and Lwaxanna Troi in an observer's seat next to the turbolift doors. "Very well Ensign. Continue on course and at Impulse until we are contacted by Gateway Control," he said.

Moments later an incoming hail was received and the blue and almost bulbous head and face of a Duros came on, "Welcome to Gateway Station Captain. We have you on our screens now. Please state your business."

Riker said, "Greetings Gateway Control. I am Captain Riker-Troi commanding the U.S.S. Titan. We're on our way to Coruscant for our yearly stopover. From there we'll be picking up a group of Stellar Cartographers who will work side-by-side with our own personnel and begin conducting a detailed series of star chart updates and navigational hazards checks within the Deep Core. Among other things, our Stellar science has never before encountered a cluster of phenomena quite like the Deep Core, and the Senate is allowing Starfleet to build its own set of maps, charts and tables. As much for our use as theirs, we intend to fully share all of our findings. It is also hoped by various members of your commerce guilds and some of the commerce based cultures on our side of the Rift to find new hyperspace and/or realspace lanes of travel through the Deep Core."

The Duros could be seen scanning a display near his seat and said, "I have it now Captain. All permits are in order and your passage fees have been paid. Will you be stopping by for shore leave at this time?" When Riker replied with a negative the Controller spoke again, "Very well Captain. It's been a slow day so you will be able to pass through the Rift in short order. Before I forget, my scans indicate that your ship has been retrofit with hyperdrive engines since your last visit. The latest scientific assessments from our side of the Rift have verified that there is a strain on the local space around the Rift due to the Warp technology that is in use on your side. Therefore, I have been instructed to tell you and all other vessels wishing passage through the Rift that Warp Drives are to be kept in standby mode only and are not to be used except in extreme emergency. All FTL travel is to be done by hyperspace. Do you understand sir?"

Riker said, "Understood Gateway Control and we will comply. Do you have anything else for us at this time?"

"Nothing of any consequence that _I_ am aware of at this time; although if I might give you some unofficial advice, once you're in the Deep Core, always keep your shields up and your weapons charged. There are still a few pirate groups active in that area of space and because of its near-constant state of stellar flux, _do_ keep a sharp eye out for interstellar flotsam; safe journey to you and your crew Captain."

Riker answered, "Thank you for the information Gateway Control, we'll keep that in mind." With that, the channel closed.

The passage through the rift was uneventful, not even marred by any subspace turbulence. Upon emerging from the other side, contact was quickly established by the Trade Hub station that had been built to monitor traffic going through the Rift and back again. In fairly close proximity to the station routine scans found a Nebulon-B Frigate monitoring for the New Republic, a Victory class Star Destroyer for the Imperial Remnant and a Vulcan science vessel for the Federation. Hails were exchanged, news traded and soon, the Titan was in position to make the next jump to hyperspace and begin its trip into the Core where Coruscant waited. As before, the impulse engines faded to standby as the hyperdrive engines came online and the Titan jumped to hyperspace as soon as the coordinates had been locked in for Coruscant.

**Captain's Cabin, U.S.S. Titan, 1930 hours**

Sometime in the middle of the five day journey to Coruscant, while Riker was off duty, his door chimed. Marking his place in the book he'd been reading, he said, "Come in". When the door did, in walked Lwaxanna Troi, his mother in law.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you William. Do you have a few minutes?"

Motioning with one hand to the chair across from him, Riker said, "No problem Lwaxanna. I was just doing some light reading. What can I do for you?"

Lwaxanna relaxed a little and said, "I just finished viewing the lightsaber training drills on the holodeck that Deanna sent you. I guess I'm still having a little difficulty adjusting to the image of my daughter as a sword-wielding warrior now. I will admit though that the color of her blade is the purest shade of blue I've ever seen, very nearly that of her original Life Sciences blue uniform she wore shortly after reporting for duty aboard the last Enterprise. Can you tell me more about what the lightsaber is besides an obvious weapon?"

Going to his replicator and ordering a pitcher of ice water and two glasses he returned to his seat, poured himself and Lwaxanna a glass, took a sip of his and sat back. "From what Deanna has told me, the lightsaber is far more than just a weapon. It's a weapon, yes, but also a living symbol of the Jedi themselves. The lightsaber, like a physical sword, can be used to heal or to hack, just as the Force itself can be used to help or to harm. What I've gathered so far from conversations, is that there are seven forms of lightsaber combat."

Riker continued, "The first, Shii-Cho, is the most basic of them all. With it, even Force Sensitive children, younglings they call them, learn the basics of attack, parry and body target zones. The second, Makashi, represents the refinement of lightsaber-to-lightsaber combat. The third, Soresu, maximizes defensive protection and was developed to counteract blaster technology in all its myriad forms. The fourth, Ataru, is the most acrobatic form. Deanna tells me that she had little interest in this form as that it relies heavily on the physical enhancements like strength, speed and stamina, which using the Force can allow a Jedi to draw upon." She included restored archival footage of a kata from one of the more proficient users of Ataru, who, at the time of the recording, was somewhere between the ages of 800 and 900 years old; a Jedi Master by the name of Yoda. When I saw that, I understood immediately why Deanna had no interest in it; though she tells me that she will incorporate the occasional back flip or forward somersault in her sparring matches as a way to keep her training partner guessing. Form five, Shien, takes advantage of the lightsaber's ability to deflect focused energy beams like blasters and phasers alike, only it bounces the beam back at the source. Sixth form, Niman, is something of a hybrid of forms one through five with some refinements uniquely its own. The head of the Jedi Order, Luke Skywalker is particularly skilled in this one, and it is used to achieve harmony. The seventh and final form, Juyo employs bold, direct movements but is usually left to the most advanced saber wielders. Deanna has mentioned that she plans to stop at Shien and master that form though it will take several years to do so as that she plans on resuming her career in Starfleet when her training is done at the Temple."

By this time, Lwaxanna was on her second glass of water and shook her head in mild disbelief. "All that training in only four years! Absolutely amazing, I have to say; and she has to carry her lightsaber with her everywhere?"

Riker smiled, "She doesn't have to though most Jedi do, again, mostly for the symbolic value. I had a hard time deciding what to do about that. Not even Security personnel go around armed all of the time and yet the one time I went with Deanna to the Temple to see where she lived and trained, everywhere I looked there were lightsabers on utility belts on every person over the age of fifteen standard years or so, and every time I went into the various city sites like museums and theaters people are armed. Thankfully though, the only weapons permitted in hospitals or government buildings except for lightsabers, belong to their respective security staff and there are multiple security checkpoints with weapons scanners in all of those structures. The first time I sat down with Admiral Picard, local law enforcement agencies and a Personal Secretary to the President of the Senate to formulate a Status of Forces Agreement, or S.O.F.A. for short, the first thing I was told was that any and all of our personnel who choose to exercise shore leave should take a phaser with them to ensure their safety."

Riker took a deep drink of his glass and refilled it from the sweating pitcher on the small table in front of him as Lwaxanna said, "About the Admiral. How are he and Beverly doing these days? Have they settled in fully by this time or are they still suffering from the occasional bout of culture shock?"

Riker smiled again, "They're both doing fine last I knew. The last message I received from them was about six months ago or so. He asked if I could bring a case of his family wine with me for use at formal occasions, I brought two and a proper wine rack to go with it as well. Beverly asked for any news of her son Wesley but though I tried, I couldn't find very much. After he resigned his commission in protest over that colony resettlement, he kind of dropped off the grid as it were. He sent a congratulatory message to the Admiral and Beverly after he found out that they had gotten married and he keeps in touch, from time to time, with a lady friend of his who is still in Starfleet but otherwise, he isn't in the headlines anywhere that I know of even though the being known as The Traveler identified him and several others with the same better-than-genius IQ as him. I keep expecting this group to make some kind of major discovery or some such any day now. To my knowledge, he hasn't crossed the Rift but that could no longer be the case. I just don't know."

Finishing her glass and setting it on the table, Lwaxanna got up. "Thank you for a most enlightening conversation William. I shall leave you to your reading then. Do you know how much longer until we get to Coruscant?"

Riker looked over at the chronometer on the wall, did some mental calculations and said, "We only need to drop out of hyperspace for one more navigation check, stellar drift and all, and then we should be entering into Corsucant orbit in two more days. I would strongly recommend that for the last few hours before we enter orbit, you strengthen your mental shields. Even for a mature empath such as you, the mental projection of so many sentient beings in a place like Coruscant could be overwhelming in the extreme. I've already instructed Doctor Cruz in Sickbay to have ready a hypo that can suppress your empathic abilities so you don't burn out. It may leave you feeling like your head is stuffed full of cotton, but better that than synaptic overload and the cerebral hemorrhages that may accompany it."

Lwaxanna nodded, "Thank you for your consideration William. I'll keep it in mind but I don't think it should be a problem. Goodnight."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Spaceport 27, New Arrivals Gate**

Shaznia Dree-Jayks came down the ramp and saw her husband Ryu, standing next to their son, Kenod. Running to them both and hugging them tightly to her, she at last felt true relief. Ryu kissed his wife soundly and held out a Naboo lotus blossom to her, "Welcome home Shazi."

Taking the blossom from him and inhaling its scent took Shazi down memory lane of their first actual date and made her smile widely. "It's good to be home, so very, very good to be home again. When does Gabrielle arrive?"

As Ryu put his arm around his wife's waist and the trio began walking towards the parking area to get their speeder, Kenod spoke, "She and Master Mara will be back in three days time, two, if Mara pushes her hyperdrive to .5 past lightspeed. The repairs to the house will be done tomorrow afternoon, and Anakin told me just this morning that after Gabrielle gets home, the four of us are to present ourselves to the Jedi Council. More than that, I can't say."

Shazi nodded her head in understanding. "Speaking of speeders, husband of mine, are you still allowed to pilot one after the other day?"

Ryu answered in a similar tone, "I was arraigned first thing this morning, wife of mine, and received the expected penalties. 1000 credit fine, suspended sentence of six months confinement due to the fact I was responding to a family emergency and my license was almost revoked but Nawara pointed out to the Judge that this is my first offence, so my license has been suspended for three months in lieu of revocation. The prosecutor was rather zealous in trying to have the figurative book-chip thrown at me and all through the hearing I could sense a clearly defined sense of dislike. Not hatred but intense dislike. I'm not sure why and I remarked upon it to Nawara later."

"I've heard of Nawara Ven, Attorney-at-law, and ace fighter pilot of Rogue Squadron." Shazi asked.

Ryu said, "That's him. He also told me that lately he's been seeing a lot of anti-human sentiment. Which is to say, there's _always_ some kind of anti human sentiment here, or anti-alien sentiment there, but lately, it's been more focused, better organized. I think Nawara would have let it go as no more than the usual agitator activity associated with any group but when his wife Rhyshati, herself a decorated ace of Rogue Squadron as well, was targeted for harassment, he kind of took it personal. He told me he would put the word out to his contacts in the lower levels to keep him informed and would let me, among others know what was going on, if anything."

Shazi asked, "What about Kenod? Will anyone try to press charges against him? What about his attackers, anything on them yet?"

Kenod spoke, "The Judge wouldn't allow Warbler's showing the hologram of me summoning a kinitite-hadoken in open court, but viewed it in his chambers during recess. He believes it was self-defense on my part, which it was, and said he would dismiss any charges brought against me. Unfortunately, the Falleen and the Barabel were released on a technicality late last night and they both went underground upon their release. Master Corran wasn't too happy about that but is hoping to get something out of the Bothan after he gets out of the Bacta tank. Other than that, we wait. For now though, can you drop me off at the dojo, I have classes to teach. I'll catch a ride on public transit to get back to our rooms in the Temple later tonight."

After dropping Kenod off at the family Teräs Käsi dojo, Shazi turned to her husband and said, "Where to now?"

Ryu smiled, kissed his wife deeply and whispered in her ear, "Room Service."

**Coruscant, Equatorial orbit**

The Titan entered regular orbit after being given permission from Planetary Traffic Control. The Ensign at the Helm said, "Now entering standard orbit over the Coruscant equatorial belt Captain."

Riker responded, "Thank you Mister Shiles." Turning in his seat to his Operations officer at their station, Riker then said, "Ship wide please Mister Ansom."

A moment later, the ship wide intercom tone sounded, "All hands, this is the Captain. We have reached Coruscant on schedule. My thanks to the Engineering Division and their flawless field test of our new hyperdrive engines; at this time, we will now be standing down to Shore Leave status for the next five standard days. The first shuttle to the surface will leave at 1800 hours tonight. Please contact your department heads to obtain the roster to find out when your section is due for shore leave. If you choose to take shore leave, be sure to wear civilian attire, keep your communicators discreetly on your person at all times, stay in pairs at minimum and draw phasers from the Armory for personal protection. Also remember that Coruscant, like most of the New Republic is a currency driven economy. Your Starfleet ID cards have all been modified to draw on the credit line established through the Federation Consulate. Do keep in mind that anything costing more than your allotment that is established by your rank, will have to be privately arranged, much like if you were to order something at Quark's Bar on DS9. Please enjoy yourselves and enjoy the cultural immersion you are about to experience, if you so choose. Above all, please be safe and watch out for each other. Due to the sheer volume of traffic coming and going at all hours to the surface of the planet, transporter locks are very hard to obtain but for very few instances. That being said; do remember that the Federation has a S.O.F.A. agreement in place. If you find yourself in any kind of trouble, don't hesitate to request that you be taken to the Federation Consulate. That is all."

When the ship wide intercom closed, Riker turned to Harry and said, "The Conn is yours Commander Kim. I'll be leaving the ship shortly with our guest for a slightly delayed family reunion of sorts. I hope you plan on taking some shore leave though."

Harry smiled, nodded his head and said, "Wouldn't miss it Captain. As soon as my turn comes up, you might even hear me from the surface as I declare to 'Make a hole!', and get on the next shuttle. I heard about this Twi'lek dancing troupe that could put an Orion Slave Dancer to shame so I plan on seeing that first."

Riker smiled in return and remembered a time when he would have led the charge to such a spectacle. Then he remembered that he was happier now, a married man, than he had ever been when single and left the Bridge with Lwaxanna a step behind him in the turbolift. After directing the turbolift to his deck, he turned to his Mother-in-Law, noticed a slight paling to her normal healthy complexion and said, "How are you feeling Lwaxanna?"

She rubbed her forehead and said, "I'll be fine William. I haven't had to strengthen my mental shields to their current level in a long time; I'm getting out of practice is all. I'll be fine in a little while."

He said, "If you like, we can stop and see Doctor Cruz in sickbay."

She answered back, "Thank you again for your concern, but I'll be alright. Really I will. Don't worry. I'll meet you in the shuttle bay in a few minutes."

Riker got off on his deck and Lwaxanna continued to hers. When he got to his quarters, he changed quickly into a preselected change of clothes. Going over to his desk, he opened a channel to an old friend and mentor. "Captain Riker to Admiral Picard . . ."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**Coruscant, Federation Consulate, Admiral Jean-Luc Picard's Office**

Picard sat at his desk finishing his summary on the advisability of allowing a Ferengi Delegation to meet with the various Commerce Guilds in the New Republic. Even with a new, to him, Grand Negis, overseeing the restructuring of the Ferengi society, he was still a little mistrustful of them as a whole though he was trying to maintain an open mind and let Grand Negis Rom establish his policies.

The familiar tone of an incoming communication sounded just as Picard was signing his name to the summary and preparing it to be sent out with the next diplomatic packet over the Holonet that would eventually see its delivery to the Federation Council back on Earth. Picard's Chief of Staff, Koni Komax, came onscreen and said, "Pardon the interruption Admiral, but you have an incoming communication from the U.S.S. Titan, newly entered into Coruscant orbit. A Captain Riker-Troi is asking to speak with you. Shall I inform him you are busy?"

Picard couldn't stop the grin that suffused his face as he said, "Absolutely not Koni. In fact, all future communications from Captain Riker-Troi are to be sent to me without hesitation save when I am in conference with a visiting delegation or someone on the President's Staff. Understood?"

Koni said, "Understood Admiral. I'll connect him now", and his image faded from the screen to be replaced with Will Riker's a moment later.

Picard spoke first, "Will! Bloody good to see you again! In orbit now are you?"

Riker's face was smiling just as largely as Picard's, "Good to see you too Admiral Picard. Yes, the Titan just entered orbit about ten minutes ago. I'm preparing to go down to the surface and see Deanna so I thought I would call and see if you and Beverly would like to join us for dinner aboard the Titan tomorrow night at about 1830 hours?"

Picard said, "I'll check with Beverly. I know that while I don't have anything pressing for that timeframe; I won't presume to speak for her and commit her to anything, but I don't think it will be a problem at all."

Riker said, "Outstanding sir. Also, I brought two cases of Picard label wine and a proper rack for you to put them on. They'll be loaded onto your shuttle while we're at dinner."

"Two cases! You spoil me Will, but I do appreciate it very much. Anything else that I should know about right now?" Picard asked.

Riker answered, "Only that my Mother-in-Law is here as well. She's here to see Deanna of course but she may have diplomatic matters to discuss with you in your capacity as Ambassador-at-Large. I'm not sure on that count."

Picard felt his smile slip a little and then remembered that he had nothing to fear from Lwaxanna Troi any longer. His status as Ambassador-at-Large superseded her status by a fair margin but even if it didn't, his marriage to Beverly had effectively ended any propositions, real or imagined from Lwaxanna forevermore. Recovering his poise quickly, he said, "I'll have Koni Komax, my Chief of Staff meet with her sometime tomorrow afternoon then. Until dinner, tomorrow night; Ambassador Troi is welcome to attend if she so wishes Captain Riker-Troi; Picard, out."

Riker said, "Until then Admiral; Riker out."

The image was barely faded when Picard placed a call to Koni, "Koni, make yourself available to Ambassador Lwaxanna Troi tomorrow afternoon please. Find out if she has any official business to conduct, make a summary and present it to me first thing the next morning, and please place a call for me to my wife and route it to me as soon as you make contact please."

Koni Komax said, "Right away Admiral."

Sending his summary into the Outgoing Communications queue, Picard swiveled in his chair and looked out his transparasteel window at the Coruscant cityscape in all it's hectic beauty. When he first occupied the office, he thought the never-ending ebb and flow of traffic completely chaotic until he started to notice the actual _patterns_ in the traffic. A lane here, merging with that lane over there, this lane exiting the flow over by that tower in the middle distance, the private traffic leaving another structure here headed to a Spaceport. Almost like the flow of blood in his own veins . . . in fact, in a way, it _was_ blood, the very lifeblood of the entire planet he was witnessing, and very beautiful, in an offbeat way. Beverly's face came onscreen just then and he swiveled in his seat again to see her beautiful features light up his screen. "Good news Beverly, the Titan has just entered orbit and Will has invited us to dinner aboard her tomorrow night if you're free. Deanna will be with him I imagine and if she's willing, Lwaxanna Troi also."

Beverly smiled and said, "That's wonderful news Jean-Luc. It will be so good to see Deanna again. She's been so busy at the Temple or offworld with her Jedi Master Cilghal that I haven't seen her since the wedding anniversary for Han and Leia two years ago or so. While she has managed to send the odd note now and again about how much she's learning and how much she enjoys her training as hard as it is at times, but I haven't seen her. I'll definitely clear my schedule for this. Thanks for the call, but I have to get back to the Birthing Area, I've been asked to observe a Duros birthing. Should be fascinating; I love you", and signed off.

Picard said, "And I love you too Dear Heart", and signed off as well, then returned to his few remaining items for the day.

Unknown to Picard, less than a kilometer away, two people with macrobinoculars were planning something unpleasant. If anyone were around to hear them, they might or might not identify the language being spoken as Rodian, "Can I kill that . . . that _pink_ skin? Can I huh, huh, can I? I've got the perfect shot lined up on that wrinkly head of his. Can I see his brain matter go sploosh? Can I?"

The other voice would have been heard to say, in Rodian, though the speaker wasn't Rodian, "Calm down Veeldo. Not yet; soon though, very soon now. Though it would be better for the overall Plan to just maim him some, we do have leeway to do more than that if the opportunity presents itself, and I think the opportunity is about to make itself available to us. I can see now that the effort it took to plant that sonic conduction listening device on the corner of his office window was time well spent. For now, let's return to base. I want you and your team to get into place along Picard's usual route, service and clean your weapons tonight. Tomorrow, they'll get to fulfill their intended purpose and your clan will go down in history as having taken the first step in our plan to displace all of the human germs."

**Jedi Temple, Landing Platform 2**

Deanna Troi stood on the platform clad in a simpler version of the robe and all weather cloak combination that proved so popular with her fellow Padawans and other Jedi; Masters and Knights alike. On her belt was the slight weight of her lightsaber, the one she had made with her own hands using whatever parts were to be found at hand, and performed a simple breathing exercise to calm down. She was a little nervous over the impending visit with her Mother. She always would be she thought silently to herself. She then reminded herself that things were greatly changed now. Now she was a Padawan Learner and by all accounts, a powerful one. Already even though the Titan was in high orbit of the planet, she could _feel_ the actual life signature of her husband, her Imzadi, as well as that of her Mother. She couldn't help but notice that now, even though she was still an apprentice, her mental powers were almost triple that of her Mother's.

Embracing the calm serenity of the Force slowed her pulse and respiration. She felt the first tentative tendrils of mental energy her Mother was sending to her just as the shuttle came into view and landed moments later. She allowed a small window into her psyche as Lwaxanna sent out, "_Little one? Deanna? Can you hear me?"_

Deanna smiled tightly at the term of endearment her Mother used. Privately, she had always despised that term but she couldn't bring herself to tell her Mother. She sent back, _"I'm here Mother, though I'm not so little anymore. Welcome to Coruscant and the Jedi Temple."_

The hatch opened and her husband got out first only to turn away for a moment and extend a gentlemanly hand up to the next passenger to disembark, her Mother, Lwaxanna Troi.

Riker stood back a moment and watched the mother-daughter reunion. He thought to himself, _'Deanna is more beautiful than ever. Life here at the Temple is agreeing with her I see.'_

Lwaxanna started sending questions in such a rush that Deanna overrode her and sent, "_With words Mother,"_ and abruptly closed the window in her psyche that she had opened in the first place. The elder Troi straightened as if she had been slapped and said, "That was rude Deanna, and I don't appreciate it, though I do approve of the strength of your mental shielding now. You are a blank spot to me empathically speaking."

"That is to be expected Mother. When I first scanned the Jedi Knight Armis Rau at the time of our first meeting aboard the Enterprise D, he too was a blank spot to me. After I began learning of the Force, the shielding you just complimented was the first thing I learned. I can already tell by the look in your eyes that Coruscant is about ready to overwhelm you. Why didn't you talk to the doctor aboard the Titan about giving something to you?" Deanna asked.

"Oh pish-posh Deanna; I don't need a tribal remedy by some Starfleet sawbones to suppress my abilities. I'll be fine in a little while, so don't concern yourself overly much," Lwaxanna fired back.

Riker stepped up and said, "I already made the offer to her before we even crossed the Rift but she refused then too."

Deanna shook her head in amused resignation, "_So_ stubborn."

Husband and wife embraced tightly and exchanged the traditional Betazoid kisses of reunion for spouses after a lengthy separation. Holding hands still, Deanna and Will walked towards the doorway leading into the Temple itself with Lwananna walking next to her daughter. After the door closed behind them, the noise of all the other air traffic ceased. Someone was waiting.

Deanna and Will both made a short bow to the Jedi Master Cilghal. Deanna said, "Master Cilghal, you remember my husband William Riker. With me today is my Mother. Mother, allow me to introduce to you my Jedi Master, Cilghal of Mon Calamari. Master, this is my Mother, Lwaxanna Troi, Daughter of the Fifth House, Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx, Heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed and Ambassador to the Federation from our homeworld of Betazed."

In her gravelly yet still feminine voice Cilghal said, "It is a great pleasure to meet you Lwaxanna Troi. Would you prefer to be addressed as Ambassador Troi or Lady Troi?" Extending her flipper-like hand, Cilghal continued, "If memory serves and from what my Padawan Learner, your daughter Deanna has told me, is this a proper greeting where you come from?"

Lwaxanna put forth her First Contact face and said as she lightly gripped the extended appendage, "It is indeed, Master Cilghal. I am honored to meet you as well. My daughter speaks highly of you and the wonderful teacher you are. Ambassador is the preferred mode of address. Even though my homeworld is a matriarchal one, no one is addressed as 'Lady' anymore."

Cilghal said, "I can sense in the Force that your mental shielding is being strained to near-breaking. Will you please allow me to help you by lending you some of my strength until your shields adapt?" The concern in her voice was audible.

Lwaxanna was about to politely refuse again when her final barrier started to crack. Deanna and Cilghal both felt the shift. Riker, no longer willing to indulge his mother-in-law's innate stubbornness, took the hypospray he had Doctor Cruz prepare, from the pouch on his civilian belt and lightly pressed it to her neck. The hissing as the hypo struck was loud in the concerned silence that followed. Holding to her daughter's shoulder she mumbled, "Perhaps I will take that hypo now . . ." and passed out.

Riker caught her quickly and handed the hypo to Deanna and said, "Master Cilghal, can we take her to your hospital wing please? The shuttle trip back to the Titan may be too long in the present circumstance and Transporter locks are devilishly hard to get on Coruscant."

Cilghal led the way quickly and calmly and after Lwaxanna was placed on a bed, she said, "I will stay with her and rebuild her shields until she wakes. Do not worry." When Deanna made ready to object, Cilghal focused one eye on her Padawan and the other on her patient and said in a tone that brooked no debate, "You will only be in the way, my Padawan. Go. I will stay with your mother and contact you when she wakes." Turning back to her patient in a clear dismissal of her Padawan, Cilghal began to focus the Force and rebuild the mental shield wall within Lwaxanna Troi's mind.

"Yes Master Cilghal. It will be as you say," Deanna said.

Turning away, she left the hospital wing after first reclaiming her husband's hand with hers.

Going to an unoccupied observation deck, Deanna let go of Will's hand and leaned on the railing, looking out towards the setting sun. Riker put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him and said, "Why does my Mother have to be so stubborn? Why can't she accept a helping hand _before_ her life hangs in the balance?"

Riker was silent a moment and said, "At the risk of sounding condescending, and I'm not trying to, I think it would be something akin to asking matter and anti-matter _not _to explode upon contact with each other. Your mother is in good flippers . . . er I mean hands."

Deanna couldn't help but to chuckle explosively, "You're right Will, you're right. Until my mother wakes up, what should we do?"

Riker smiled slyly and said, "Come with me back to the Titan, I have something I want to show you in our quarters. Something you can use after you training is complete and you resume your duties aboard."

**Captain's Cabin, U.S.S. Titan**

The shuttle trip back to the Titan had been uneventful, short as it was. Upon entering their quarters, Riker was guiding Deanna by the shoulders while she covered her eyes with her hands. He lead her to an alcove that he'd had put in during the same space-dock layover that saw the hyperdrive engines installed.

Uncovering her eyes, Deanna saw what appeared at first glance to be nothing more than a raised and padded, circular bench. Sensing in the Force though that her husband had something else in mind with it, she asked, "Beyond the obvious, what is it? I can tell there's something about it that you're hiding Imzadi but what, I can't be sure."

He smiled even wider and said, "Sit on it as if you were going to meditate."

When she did, a holo-curtain fell over her and for a moment, she thought she was literally in space. A sense of peace unlike anything she had felt descended on her. Riker's voice came to her and said, "In doing some research on how to enable you to better commune with the Force after your training is done, I came across some schematics for a special medical/meditation chamber used by Darth Vader. Using that as the basis, I had a padded bench like those I've seen in the Temple crossed with the Stellar Cartography lab. Using this, you can bring up any constellation, any solar system or any star chart in our memory banks and use that to help you expand your senses. Also, at your direction, you can have total soundproofing except for Red Alert. Although, if I understand everything you've told me about the occasional precognitive vision that the Force can give you, I figure that you'll be the one to tell us if a Red Alert is coming or not."

Stretching out her legs caused the holo-curtain to deactivate. She stood up saying, "The Force isn't always that communicative but I understand what you're saying. Thank you Imzadi; thank you for this wonderful gift, I'll be sure to make use of it. Right now though, you and I have an appointment and I don't intend for us to miss it."

Riker raised an eyebrow, "An appointment you say?"

The look in his wife's dark eyes quickly told him just what kind of appointment as he picked her up in his arms and took her to their bed.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**Captain's Cabin, U.S.S. Titan, 1430 hours, Ship's Time**

The next morning, Will and Deanna had breakfast in their quarters and caught each other up on their respective lives since they saw each other last. Riker went on duty at 0900 and would be on the Bridge until 1700, leaving an hour and a half to finish the dinner preparations. Deciding to make use of the time, Deanna went on walkabout, of sorts, and spent two hours catching up with old acquaintances in the various departments aboard ship. From there she returned to quarters and changed into a workout suit, and went to the holodeck and worked her lightsaber routines, first through third and form five, Shii-cho, Makashi, Soresu and Shien respectively. After an hour and a half of lightsaber drills, she returned to quarters yet again, took a shower, and then decided to use her new meditation chamber for the first time.

Bringing up the Betazoid constellation known only as the 'Searcher', Deanna relaxed into the Force, let it flow through and around her and meditated. For a moment, she marveled at how easy it had gotten for her to merge with the Force. Her first six months at the Temple had come to frustrate her. She could almost feel the Force, like it was on the other side of a wall, but each time she thought she was about to break through, the wall sprung up again. It was only after using a piece of advice related to her from the deceased Jedi Master Yoda by way of a Holocron that she had finally grasped the intuitive nature of the Force. The image had said to her in Yoda's quaint dialect, _"Through the Force, things you will see; other places, other thoughts, the future, the past, old friends long gone. When condition yourself you have Padawan, to let go of expectations, to let go of ambition, far you will progress. Adventure, excitement, a Jedi craves not these things. Patience comes in the fullness of time. Hurry you should not; for at that time, your ally, the Force will be."_

The vision swept Deanna into it without her being aware of it. _She saw herself in the backseat of a transport vehicle. Looking around she could tell that the vehicle was descending too rapidly to be normal. The operator was slumped over on their side in the front seat while Admiral Picard was trying to regain control. As his arm reached over to pull back on the speed levers and slow the vehicle down, his left forearm suddenly had a hole burned through it. She could almost smell the burnt flesh on his arm as he gasped in pain and reached over for the levers again, this time with his right arm. He had just grasped the levers when his right bicep was similarly shot. Deanna recognized the grim determination on the Admiral's face as he forced himself through the pain and pulled back on the levers. The craft started to slow down as three more invisible shots hit him, once in the right shoulder blade and twice more in the back on either side of his spine._

Deanna snapped out of her meditation and stood up from her bench so fast that she tripped over her own feet. As she got to her knees, she called out, "Padawan Troi to the Bridge!" When the intercom didn't activate, Deanna mentally chastised herself for not remembering to use her rank first, she called out again, "Commander Troi to the Bridge!"

This time the intercom activated, "Bridge here, Captain Riker speaking; something the matter Deanna?"

"Find the Admiral as fast as you can Will! He's in danger, great danger. The Force just gave me a vision. Please hurry!"

On the Bridge at that moment, Riker recognized the tone in his wife's voice and decided not to question it. "Yellow Alert! Ops lock onto the Admiral's combadge as quickly as you can and get a Transporter lock. I don't care if you have to shut down everything but life support and gravity plating to get the power necessary to punch through the interference on Coruscant! Just get it done!"

**Coruscant, Federation Consulate**

Picard was in a terrific mood. It had been a light day in terms of workload. So light in fact, that he had been able to wrap up his work earlier than usual and leave his office earlier as a result. With a PADD under his arm to review a few notes on next week's Senate meeting that he planned to attend, Picard went down to the vehicle bay. Once there, his driver a Bothan by name of Elib Meyon, was just pulling up in the enclosed airspeeder that Picard used to go between his Residence and the Consulate. Getting in, he said, "Good afternoon Elib. How are you today?"

Elib said, "Very well sir. Thank you for asking. If you don't mind my saying so, you seem to be in a great mood today."

Picard answered, "Oh I am in a good mood Elib. A great one in fact; I get to catch up with a pair of old friends who are both former subordinates of mine. How are the traffic patterns today?"

Elib said, "For this time of day, their actually rather light. Our arrival to the Diplomatic Wing of the old Imperial Palace should be between 8-12 minutes sooner than usual."

As Picard settled into his seat and Elib in his and started to merge with the traffic, Picard chuckled, "It never ceases to amaze me your ability to gather information Elib. How do you do it?"

Elib answered, "Bothans naturally excel at gathering information of all kinds. Big stuff, small stuff, esoteric stuff; during the Rebellion, the Bothan spy network had a saying, 'There is no knowledge that is not power.' Plus, I've been flying the Coruscant air lanes for many years now."

Picard smiled again, "Back in the Federation, we have a saying exactly like it. Most sentient species do. How's your family doing these days?"

Elib entered an express lane, scanned his surroundings both visually and with the limited sensor suite that came standard on diplomatic vehicles and said, "They're all doing really good. Thank you for asking. In fact, both of my sons and both of my daughters wanted me to ask you if they can join Starfleet when they're old enough. Seems they want to Captain a starship someday if they're able."

Picard leaned back in his seat and said, "They can if they're willing to work for it because commanding a starship is the hardest job Starfleet has but anyone can do it if they dedicate themselves to the goal. In fact, Starfleet Academy has already begun screening applications for entry. The Consulate just opened an Academy Screening Office. As soon as they have enough qualified applicants, the first group from this side of the Rift will be sent to Earth to begin attending classes. If you like, when your children attain their legal majority, I'll be happy to endorse their applications personally, but _only_ if they're qualified to do so. That means they'll have to do their absolute best in their academic courses, and I'll have to interview them myself when the time comes. I'll be as hard on them as it was for me when I first applied to the Academy."

Elib was silent a moment but when he spoke, the surprise was evident in his voice, "You'd do that for me?"

Picard said, "Why not? Everyone should be allowed to live up to their potential. You didn't actually think Starfleet Academy was like the Imperial Academies did you? There are no bribes for slots in the Academy and regardless of the political clout that a family may or may not have; there are no shortcuts to a commission in Starfleet. I was born the second of two sons to a vineyard owner. While there _was_ a time long ago, when that would have been a disabling factor, it's not any more. Though I was born a vintager's son, I was able, by virtue of hard work, and more than a little luck, to become a starship Captain before my fourth decade. Now I'm a Rear Admiral in Starfleet Command and the Ambassador-at-Large to the New Republic. Tell your children for me Elib, that if they want it badly enough to work for it, I'll be happy to endorse their applications when the time comes."

The surprise in Elib's voice had changed to genuine respect as he said, "Thank you Admiral. I'll be sure to pass on your words after I get home tonight."

Picard went back to the PADD he carried and silence reigned in the cabin of the speeder for a time when Elib said, "That's odd, my sensor panel just quit on me."

Tapping on the display did nothing even though Elib knew it wouldn't when suddenly there was the sharp report of the canopy being pierced. Elib straightened in his seat and fell sideways across the passenger seat with a low groan.

Picard tossed the PADD aside without a thought and leaned over the seatback that separated the front and back. Shaking Elib by the shoulder provoked no change. Checking for a pulse on his neck, Picard thought he may have felt something but was uncertain if Bothan's had carotid arteries like humans. Already noticing that the speeder was descending quickly, Picard reached up with his left hand to ease back the throttle when another piercing sound was heard and his arm felt like it was covered in liquid fire as he saw a hole open up in his uniform sleeve on the left forearm. As his left arm went limp, he grasped the levers with his right hand as his right bicep was similarly shot. Determined to reach the throttle, he forced himself through the pain and pulled back on the levers. The craft started to slow down as three more invisible shots hit him, once in the right shoulder blade and twice more in the back on either side of his spine. As the darkness began to close over him, Picard was only vaguely aware of the decrease in speed, the chirp from his combadge, or the transporter effect.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**Bridge, U.S.S. Titan **

Riker called out, "Transporter Room, did you get the Admiral?"

A moment later the answer came back, "Bridge, Transporter Room 2; I started to get a lock on the Admiral's combadge but due to the ambient interference on Coruscant, I couldn't lock onto him precisely so I opted to grab his entire vehicle. In the middle of the transport cycle, I redirected the speeder to the main cargo bay where they grabbed it with the cargo tractor beam as soon as it materialized."

"Good job, Bridge to Main Cargo Bay, do you have the Admiral's speeder?" Riker called out.

"Bridge, Main Cargo Bay, yes I have the Admiral's speeder but it's a mess. I've already called Sickbay and Doctor Cruz will be here any moment now. There was a small fire in the cabin of the speeder which was put out as soon as the canopy was opened . . . Doctor Cruz just arrived sir."

Riker said, "Very well, I'm on my way now." Harry was on shore leave on Coruscant at the moment, so turning to his Operations officer, Riker said, "You have the Bridge Lieutenant. I'll be in Sickbay. Please inform Commander Troi to meet me there."

Dutifully, the Ops officer said, "Aye sir, I have the Bridge."

Riker was already in the turbolift as the Ops officer took the center seat.

**Main Cargo Bay**

Doctor Jamison Cruz, a ten year veteran of the Starfleet Medical Corps.; had seen some horrific injuries in his time, but going over the Admiral with a Medical Tricorder gave him a new definition of the term "serious injury". Finishing his initial exam, he knew that there was little he could do here in the Cargo Bay. Tapping his combadge he said, "Transporter Room 2, this is Doctor Cruz and I am declaring a Medical Emergency. I need a site-to-site transport for two from the Main Cargo Bay to Sickbay and I need it 15 seconds ago."

"Transporter Room 2 copies, standby for site-to-site . . . mark!"

**Sickbay**

As soon as the transporter cycle finished, Doctor Cruz had two nurses move the Admiral to the nearest bio-bed and began a more detailed examination and came to the conclusion that the moment he was able, the Admiral would be placed into one of the new, to Cruz, bacta tanks. Calling out he said, "2-1B, activate."

The medical droid's optic sensors lit up and it walked over to Cruz and said, "Please state the nature of the Medical Emergency."

Cruz said, "Warm up a bacta tank, we've got our first customer."

As the droid moved off to implement its orders, Cruz and one of his nurses started cutting off the Admiral's uniform. A few minutes later, Picard was in his shorts on the bio-bed. From there, it was a small matter to fit Picard with a breath mask and submerge him into the bacta. Of the many small refinements that were made as the technology from the New Republic and the Federation were merged, was the addition of a set of monitors exactly like a bio-bed's, only attached to the bacta tank. Picard's readings started a slow improvement within five minutes of being placed in the tank.

Riker and Deanna both arrived at Sickbay within seconds of each other. As Riker went to speak with Doctor Cruz, Deanna stood before the bacta tank and looking within to its occupant, made a Force scan and found that he would live. She breathed a sigh of relief as she realized this and walked back over to where her husband was talking with the Doctor.

"What's your diagnosis Doctor?" Riker asked.

Cross-referencing his tricorder scans with those of the bio-bed, Cruz said, "As well as being burned across approximately 36% of his body, both of the Admiral's kidneys were pierced by the blaster bolts that hit him. With the help of the bacta, he should be making a full recovery within a day or so. It will heal his internal wounds and be eliminated like any other liquid waste through his kidneys. This marks the first time I've used the bacta tanks. I understand the material well enough but understanding of a subject through research is quite different from seeing that research in action. The Admiral was shot five times but luck was with us in that none of the wounds are fatal in and of themselves. His attackers either didn't understand a human's vulnerable points or they were just plain incompetent."

Riker said, "Attackers? You're sure there was more than one?"

Cruz answered, "Judging from the data I collected before putting him in the tank that was the only way he could have been shot five times across so much overall body mass. Like I said, luck was with him that his attackers didn't accomplish their goal and with us that we were able to get to him so quickly."

Deanna had overheard this last statement and said, "In my growing experience with the Force, Doctor, I've come to understand that there's no such thing as luck. The Force was with all of us today. What about the Admiral's pilot?"

Cruz shook his head sadly, "He was already dead by the time I got there. I'll do an autopsy if you like Captain. The wound on the pilot is similar to the Admiral's except that it came from the left and hit his heart square on."

Riker said, "Yes, please perform the autopsy as soon as you can. There's no way in hell that this was anything but an assassination attempt on the Admiral. Any evidence we can get could be helpful with the investigation that I'm going to initiate along with the local law enforcement. Has Beverly been notified yet?"

Deanna said, "That's what took me so long to get here. I called her as soon as the channel closed with you on the Bridge, Will. She should be here anytime now."

Just then, the intercom sounded, "Bridge to Captain Riker."

Tapping his combadge he said, "Riker here, go ahead."

"Sir, we're being hailed from the surface, a Senior Detective So Leet of the New Republic Peace Officer Corps."

Riker said, "Keep him on the line and tell him I'll be with him as soon as I get back to the Bridge. For right now, until this incident is resolved, shore leave is cancelled. I want an immediate recall of all our personnel from Coruscant. Also, have the Consulate go to Yellow Alert and step up all of their security protocols. Riker out."

As the channel closed, Riker said, "Please keep me posted Doctor. I'll be on the Bridge if anything develops."

Moments after Riker left, Beverly Crusher-Picard arrived in Sickbay.

Deanna met her halfway and said, "Beverly, even though the circumstances could be better, it's still good to see you my friend."

Beverly gave her friend a quick hug and said, "Thank you. It's good to see you as well. I understand it's entirely thanks to you that I still have a husband."

Deanna said, "Don't thank me, thank the Force. I was meditating and it gave a particularly clear vision of the immediate future to me that I was able to act on. Now that you're here, let me introduce you to the Chief Medical Officer here on the Titan, Doctor Jamison Cruz. Doctor Cruz, this is Beverly Crusher-Picard, the Admiral's wife and personal physician."

Shaking hands with him, Beverly immediately shifted from concerned spouse to professionally detached doctor and started firing off questions that only another doctor could understand.

Leaving the two doctors to their business, Deanna left Sickbay only to receive a summons to the Bridge. Upon arrival, she went to the Captain's Ready Room and went to stand beside her husband. As she came into the visual pick-up range, she saw the detective, a Cerean, shift his eyes immediately to her lightsaber on her belt and then back to her face as he blurted out, "_More_ Jedi interference?"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Ryu Jayks, his wife Shaznia and their two children, Kenod and Gabrielle stood in the elevator going to the top of the spire of the rebuilt Jedi Temple. Resisting the urge to bounce on his toes took an immense act of willpower. Shaznia turned to him and said, "Calm down Ryu. This isn't the first time any of us has been to the Council Chambers after all."

Smiling tightly he said, "Individually, yes, that's true. But all of us together? That's a little strange."

Shaznia shrugged and said, "Okay, I'll give you that point but don't worry. The Council will probably just want each of our impressions concerning the attack on Kenod."

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. The New Republic insignia stood out on the polished marble floor just as its creator intended. As Ryu and his family neared the doors that entered into the Council Chambers proper, the double doors swung open noiselessly and the group of four entered. As the doors closed behind them, Ryu saw the entire Council assembled either by hologram or physical presence. Ryu saw his adopted brother Dieter and his cousin Michelle as well but kept silent. After stopping in the center of the Chamber to stand upon the red cross, the four bowed slightly at the waist and waited for Luke to speak.

"Greetings Jedi Ryu, Jedi Shaznia, Jedi Kenod and Padawan Gabrielle; know you, why you are here?"

When Ryu indicated ignorance, Luke spoke again, "It has been decided by the Council, that you, Ryu Jayks, and your wife Shaznia Jayks have demonstrated many of the greatest traits that Jedi should aspire to. Your selfless service to the New Republic, the Jedi Order and to your many, many students has been exemplary and beyond contestation. The missions you have undertaken regardless of complexity have been successful by way of negotiation, or mediation, both aggressive and passive. Your humble dedication to the students of Teräs Käsi, both Force Sensitive and non-Force Sensitive has been a model of equality. For all of that, you both still ensured that you raised your children in a loving and nurturing environment that flowed with the Force and its many eddies and currents."

Luke was silent a moment and then continued, "Since you both have proven yourselves time and again, it has been decided that you both shall be Masters. Confer upon you both this Council does, the rank of Jedi Master."

Ryu was stunned, and through the mental bond he and his wife shared, he could sense that she was too. Over the years they had been together, Shaznia and Ryu had developed the ability to share thoughts and send short messages to each other through the Force. Ryu sent to Shaznia, "_Are you ready for this?"_

She sent back, _"I am if you are my love, but I can sense hesitation. You are my friend, my husband and my partner. Your debts are my debts; your word of honor given is my word of honor to carry out."_

Ryu replied, "_You use my Father's words?"_

She answered, _"Truer words have yet to be spoken and you know it."_

In perfect time with each other, Ryu and Shaznia went to one knee and said in unison, "We accept this greatest of honors with humility and gratitude Master Skywalker."

Luke stood from his seat in the circle of Masters and stepped in front of the newly minted Jedi Masters. Placing both hands on one of their shoulders apiece, he said, "Rise my friends and let me be the first to congratulate you both."

Stepping away, Luke started clapping and soon every other person in the room was clapping loudly as well. Dieter came over and gave his adopted brother and sister-in-law a hearty hug and handshake, joined soon by Kenod, his sister Gabrielle and their Cousin Michelle Karu´.

The clapping continued for a time and when it ended, Luke resumed his seat and said, "Though this is a joyous day, and a celebration is in order, there is a tremor in the Force that cannot be ignored. The Council was informed less than an hour ago of an assassination attempt on Admiral Picard, the Federation Ambassador-at-Large. That incident, in conjunction with the attempted attack on Kenod Jayks of only a few days ago has therefore made your first assignment an easy one to decide upon. Jedi Master Ryu Jayks, Jedi Master Shaznia Jayks you both will head up the investigation of this incident. You will need to work with Starfleet Security as well as the New Republic Peace Officer Corps on this. Corran Horn will give you what information he has up to this point. The Council is certain that the two incidents are related. Just how exactly they are related, we don't know yet but the Force, though seldom clear _is_ clear on this matter. Go carefully and investigate, then report back to the Council. As for you Jedi Kenod, your mission is still yours if you want it. It might simplify matters inasmuch as the investigation is concerned if you were offworld, but you must do what you feel is right."

Kenod nodded and said, "Thank you Master for giving me the choice in this. I choose to continue my planned mission. I agree with you that it would probably be easier for my parents if I were offworld so that's where I'll be."

Luke nodded, "May the Force be with you all."

**General purpose meeting room, Jedi Temple**

A short time later, Ryu, Shaznia, Kenod and Gabrielle walked into one of the many general purpose meeting rooms to be found throughout the Temple. Corran Horn was waiting for them. Upon entering, Corran walked up to them and said, "Congratulations to you both. It's been a long time in coming."

Ryu started to speak, "Thank you Master . . ."

Corran cut him off in mid-sentence and said, "Don't even _think_ of calling me 'Master' now. We're equals. It's Corran from now on. Got it?"

"Yes Mast . . . er, I mean Corran. It will take some getting use to though. I honestly never expected to be made a Jedi Master in any other way but posthumously perhaps." Ryu said.

Corran spoke, "Luke spoke to me earlier about it and he was ready to just promote you and Shaznia both, with or without your consent. More than once, he's mentioned how difficult it is to give you any praise. Something about having too much of your father in you he says. I might not have told you, but once, many years ago, I met your Father. He came to Corellia once. I never knew why he was there and he didn't stay long. After that, I've only ever heard his voice coming from a holocron, so I have to take Luke's word for it. Anyway, like Luke said, you and Shaznia will be leading the Jedi involvement of this investigation. With the help of my contacts throughout the NRPO community here on Coruscant, I was able to read transcripts of the statement you gave senior Detective So Leet at Station 17. I was also able to get a copy of the holo-recording that Warbler made of the incident. To start, I'd like to go over the recording with you and get your thoughts and feelings on it. After that, I'll give you what information I have so far and then maybe we can start building a plan from there."

As the Jayks family sat down at the conference style table across from Corran, he dialed some controls on the tabletop. The windows tinted from clear to opaque and the lights faded as the holo-emitters built into the ceiling scanned the data Corran had already provided and started to show what Warbler saw that day: _Kenod was visible sitting on the couch in the living room at first and in the background, the voice of Ronin Jayks, Ryu's father, could be heard saying, "The kinitite hadoken is, I believe, one of, if not _the _ultimate expression of one's unity with the Force. Unlike Sith Lightning which is created by tapping the darkest hatred within the Dark Side, the hadoken is created by life. Using my own life energy like a primer from a slugthrower's projectile, my ki triggers the ambient life energy around me to give a little of itself. This energy is easily replaced by the natural cycle of life and is not missed. Using my arms and hands like magnets, only instead of ferrous metal particles, I'm attracting life energy, collecting it, focusing it between my hands and focusing my intent. The Force is perceived by every Jedi, whether they be Padawan, Knight or Master, differently. I have read accounts given to me by Luke that verify this beyond any doubt. Some perceive it as threads that tie everything together, others as waves like one would see on a sandy beach as the tides come and go. As for me, I perceive the Force as blue orbs of all sizes as they flow into my arms and hands."_

Kenod was seen to stand up from the couch and stand in the middle of the living room. The voice of Ronin Jayks was heard to say, "_Assume a neutral stance with your weight evenly distributed on both feet, breathe deeply and evenly in through your nose and out through your mouth. Smoothly rotate your arms in a circle just barely larger than the height of your head and torso and open yourself to the Force." As Kenod continued to follow the instructions, the voice of Ryu's father continued, "If you approach this focusing technique cold, say just as you begin your daily training regimen, you will have to hold it upwards of thirty standard minutes. If on the other hand, you do it after a solid workout when the Ki and Force are working synergistically, or in a critical moment during a fight as my son Ryu has done, it may only take a minute or less. You will begin to see multi-colored streaks cross your field of vision, these are your intentions, and this is good. Now focus your intentions on one point, one place in time and space and _feel_ the Force around you."_

The depth of field started to lengthen as Warbler moved towards his recharge station but he continued recording. After a moment the image stabilized. Kenod held a blue orb of tightly condensed energy between his palms. The main door to the Jayks residence opened and the three would-be attackers charged into the main room. The Bothan made one remark, "We are _so_ kriffing stanged."

Kenod shifted his weight forward into a zenkutsu-dachi and yelled out, "HADOKEN!"

In the hologram, the hadoken was seen to leave Kenod's hands and fly unerringly at the three assailants. The Bothan took the brunt of the blast and was knocked back out of the field of view but the sound of the breaking of the closet door where Ryu saw him when he first entered the apartment could be heard, while the Barabel and Falleen were knocked back at 45° angles. The Falleen slid across the floor for a short distance and lay still while the Barabel hit the wall and slid down to fall over on its side on the floor.

From Warbler's point of view Kenod was seen to slowly recover to a standing position and then sink down on both knees. Moments later, Ryu entered the room with lightsaber in hand but deactivated. The image ended in a fizzle of static. As the windows went back to transparent from opaque, the ambient lighting increased back to normal.

Corran was the first to speak, "Even seeing it again still surprises the blazes out of me. My family line, the Horns, descended from the Halcyon line, has as their strongest attribute the ability to absorb or dissipate energy which is how I can block a blaster bolt with my bare hand, though it _still_ stings like hell. Don't ask me to levitate or Force Push anything though without a dose of energy from an outside source. Your family line, Ryu, has the ability to absorb additional energy from the very life around you whether it is plant or animal. On a strictly hypothetical note, I have to wonder what would happen if you or your son fired one of those fireballs at me or mine. Anyway, back to the case at hand. I was able to access the arrest reports of the Barabel, Falleen and the Bothan."

Manipulating the controls on the tabletop again, Corran brought up the images of the attackers. Just beneath their respective images was a summary of their public files. As Corran continued to operate the controls, he spoke, "Eoth Kohm was on the household staff of Kultan Vor'esk, a functionary of the Bothan Consulate and had no criminal record until this incident. Not even a parking ticket. It's a mystery why a regular fellow like him would suddenly recruit two thugs and try and assault a Jedi."

Ryu spoke, "What do you mean exactly by 'was'? Did his employer fire him over this or bail him out of detention and send him offworld?"

Corran shook his head, "I wish that were so. In this case, he's dead."

Kenod sat back in his seat plainly surprised, "I didn't kill him did I? I recall seeing him being taken out on a stretcher but I could have sworn he was still alive."

Corran said, "Relax Kenod. He _was_ alive when he was taken away from your home but he had an allergic reaction to the bacta that he was placed in to heal the cracked ribs and concussion. I wasn't kidding when I said Eoth was a mystery. By all accounts, he should have gotten out of that tank better than new but not only did he die in the tank of anaphylactic shock when there was _no_ record of him having an allergy to bacta in the first place, but then his corpse was turned over to his employer for disposal before an autopsy could be performed. According to public record, Eoth was a ward of Vor'esk. Eoth's parents died when the reborn Emperor sent his World Devastators to Bothuwai. The Vor'esk household took him in, finished his education and gave him a job. I imagine you'll want to interview Kultan Vor'esk, so I already made the request on your behalf. Right now, there's been no answer but hopefully there will be soon."

Corran continued with, "Our next contestant is the Barabel, who calls himself Barab the Barabel. Not very original sounding, I grant you, but believe it or not, that is his name of record and speaking of records, his is one of basic thuggery and strong-arming. Don't let his usual choice of employment fool you though. He holds several academic degrees all through the Criminal Justice field. It's probably how he's stayed out of serious trouble until now. Several times he's been scheduled to appear in court to face charges ranging from extortion to assault and even racketeering. Each time though, his accusers decide suddenly to drop charges or they come into enough money to get a one way ticket offworld and that's the last they're heard of. This time around, Barab lawyered up as soon as he got to Station 17. His lawyer found a technicality and got his client released quicker than a dianoga exits a trash compacter about to start its cycle. There is a BOLO out on him but there is a large Barabel population on Coruscant so it's doubtful that he'll be found."

Kenod asked, "Bolo? Isn't that a type of wild game capture tool?"

Ryu answered, "Yes and no son. There is a device of the type you describe but in this case its spelled capital B-O-L-O, an acronym for Be On the Look Out."

Nodding in understanding, Kenod looked back to Corran and said, "What about the Falleen?"

Corran manipulated the controls still further until the Falleen's image was center of the display. "The Falleen's name is Xoran and he's probably the most dangerous. Before going into crime, he was a competitor in the GFC."

Comprehension dawned openly on Ryu's face. "That's why he seemed so familiar!"

Everyone's attention suddenly focused on Ryu.

He said, "I encountered and fought only a few Falleen while I was on the Tournament circuit with the GFC. It was before I met you Shazi and obviously before Kenod and Gabrielle were born. This one though was a rare one. Not only was he trained by Prince Xixor, the Underlord of the Black Sun syndicate, but he's Force Sensitive too. Although I don't know if he knows that he is or not. He left a trail of brutality behind him in every tournament I ever saw him in. At the risk of sounding vain, I think he was looking to defeat me and claim the title of 'Galaxy's Strongest'. We almost fought on more than one occasion but never got the chance for one reason or another. I remember once he issued a direct challenge to me for the Title and in his last semi-final match before he was slated to face me, he was disqualified for trying to establish an inroad for performance enhancers into the GFC. His DQ came about by way of an inter-organization sting operation. I helped set Xoran up, as well as a couple of the dealers who were looking to make a connection in the GFC. I don't recall if it was proven that Xoran was using but if he was, he didn't need the stuff. Despite of or maybe even because of his penchant for brutality, he was quite popular with the fans and one time at a 'meet and greet' with the fans, I saw him kick a sunfruit off of a tall humanoid's head without a warm-up stretch."

Gabrielle had been silent until now, "Like you say dad, if he was using, why would a DQ make him go into crime? Six months to a year of clean living and the enhancers would have cleared his bloodstream."

Ryu said, "In any other type of organized fighting, that would be the case but the GFC is the highest caliber of fighting and its clearly outlined in your application that any use, and I mean _any_ use of or supplying performance enhancers or other narcotics will result in a permanent, lifetime ban from fighting in the GFC. The GFC fighters are the highest paid of any organized fighting circuit; they get the best venues, the best perquisites. If someone gets banned from the GFC, the best they can hope for after that is to fight in the underground circuits for rent and food money. Now that I think about it, I remember after he was disqualified, he was stripped of all his accolades he'd earned to that point and was about to be prosecuted, but he disappeared before going to court. Soon after, I met Shazi and had other things on my mind. It would appear he still has a grudge, since he tried to get to me through my son."

Corran said, "That was my first thought as well and so far the evidence matches the theory. This one's lawyer was waiting at, big surprise here, Station 17, for his client and got him released. While the total Falleen population on Coruscant is far less than the Barabel one and there is a BOLO on Xoran, there's even less of a chance of finding him."

Kenod asked, "Why's that Master Horn? There can't be that many former GFC level Falleen on the planet."

Corran answered, "You would be correct but back in the early days of the Civil War, there was a flesh-eating bacterium that got loose on the Falleen homeworld that would rival the Krytos virus epidemic of many years later. It came from an R & D facility that was working directly for Darth Vader. Few records remain of that specific incident except to say that when whatever it was, got loose in the nearest population center it started to spread. No record remains that clearly indicates just how far the virus got but there _is_ a record of Vader personally ordering a _sterilization_ of a very large tract of one of the landmasses _and_ all of their inhabitants in an effort to stop the spread of this virus. As a result, Falleen have a tendency to stick to their own, usually working to further their own status as a species and generally don't concern themselves with much of anything concerning the 'lower' life forms, which pretty much means any other sentient species."

Ryu interjected, "You probably won't find him through regular channels Corran. He's the reigning 'King of Fighters' in the Demon's Battle Cave, in point of fact, he practically runs everything there."

Shaznia spoke, "This NRPO Station 17 sure is coming up a lot. The Force is trying to tell me something about this but I don't have enough information to put it into words yet. Does anyone else feel the same?"

Ryu, Kenod and Gabrielle all nodded their heads in agreement.

Corran said, "I've got the same feeling but even though the Jedi Order _was _granted limited police powers upon its reconstitution, feelings like ours don't go very far in the courts. As you all know, anyone can ask for our help in matters of justice but what we find is only admissible in court if it results in large bodies of evidence. This evidence can take the form of physical material from a search and seizure or audio-visual evidence like a confession either written or in a hologram like the one Warbler made of Kenod at the time of the incident. I'm going to quietly inquire of my Father-in-law, Booster Terrik, if he can have his slicers look into the background of Senior Detective So Leet of Station 17. As much as I dislike investigating other law enforcement officers or even suspecting them of wrongdoing for that matter, I think it may turn something up. What will you two do?"

Shazi said, "I think I'll see if I can borrow Michelle for a time and go to the Titan and see if Admiral Picard can tell me anything and then check with Starfleet Security to see if they have any leads yet. What about you three?"

Gabrielle said, "I have to get with Master Mara and see if she wants me to assist. Don't get me wrong, I want to help any way I can. After all, someone tried to hurt my brother and I'm the only one who can do that."

There was a short chuckle around the table at that comment. Kenod said, "I wish I could help too but I have to leave first thing tomorrow for my mission for the Jedi Order. Master Skywalker may assign a partner to me to help watch my back since I was the target and someone might try again but I'll have to wait and see."

Ryu was silent for a moment. He knew his choice would not be a popular one but it would have to be done. "I know where to find Xoran. I'm going to the Demon's Battle Cave. If I find him there, and I probably will, I must face him . . . alone. That's the only way I'll get the information I want and need. What puzzles me most about Xoran's involvement in this, why would someone like him take on the role of a hired thug?"

As expected there was a sharp intake of breath from his family but each one knew in their own way that he would do what he needed to do.

A short time later, after the group ended their meeting, Ryu and his wife were standing on a balcony looking out at the Coruscant cityscape, their children having sensed a possible argument in the offing and needing to return to their respective tasks. Shazi was saying, "Why won't you let me join you? I was a GFC fighter too, don't forget. I can hold my own in any hive of scum and villainy just as well as you can."

He answered, "Your fighting ability is not at question Shazi! If Xoran is where I think he is, then the only way I'll get to him is by myself! From what Corran was able to uncover so far, Xoran may still have it in for me. If the locals see two Jedi, they'll close their mouths faster than a space slug going for its first snack in a century. I might even have to enter a local sector tournament to do it. Things like that can always be found if you know where to look."

She answered, "But you haven't fought in almost twenty years! I just got back from a mission of my own; our son was attacked; now he's going on his own mission offworld into who knows what. You might get hurt or worse you, you, half-witted . . . nerf-herder!" Her emotional control had started to crack as she turned away to stand at the railing. Involuntarily, her vision started to go misty.

Ryu walked over to her and gently turned her to face him. Tipping her face up to his, he wiped away her tears and said softly, "Hey there . . . this is me here. To borrow a phrase from one of Master Yoda's holocron sequences, worry you should not. For my ally is the Force and a powerful ally it is. While it _is_ true that I haven't fought professionally in almost twenty years or so, you forget that I have a high level, nearly full contact, hard spar every other week or so. I swear to you I'll be fine just as I swore that you and only you would have my heart. I love you Shaznia Dree-Jayks and I will be careful."

Shazi felt her heart and soul shiver with love when he spoke her name that way. "I love you too and on an intellectual level, I know that you will do what you need to. On an emotional one . . . all I can say is don't you _dare_ get yourself killed or I'll never forgive you!"

Ryu kissed his wife deeply and with much tenderness. When their lips parted he said, "I _will_ return to you. This I promise with all my heart and soul."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Lwaxanna Troi opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was her daughter's concern-filled eyes looking into her own. Looking past Deanna, she saw a ceiling the color of sky on a clear day overhead in muted shades of blue. She focused on herself and felt her heart beating evenly and took a deep breath. Under her she felt a mattress with just the right amount of give; neither too soft nor too hard.

Deanna said, "How are you feeling Mother? Do you know where you are?"

Lwaxanna felt her mattress adjust and she found herself slowly rising to a sitting position. Looking around, she saw a cup of water on a table next to the bed she was in, picked it up and sipped it slowly, feeling the pleasant coolness quench a mild thirst. Taking another small sip, she set the cup back down on the table and said, "Obviously, I'm in a hospital room but not on a ship. As to how I feel, I feel rested. How did I get here and how long have I been here?"

Deanna said, "What's the last thing you remember Mother?"

With a short sigh, Lwaxanna said, "I remember coming down from the Titan with William at the helm of the shuttle. I remember you shutting me out empathically which was very rude by the way; and I remember meeting your Jedi Master, Cilghal, wasn't it? After that, all I can remember is an overwhelming sense of mental pressure."

In a voice heavy with emphatic concern, Deanna said, "Your memory is fine thankfully. Will carried you here in his arms after he hit you with a hypospray a second or two before your empathic shields collapsed from the weight of the entire mental presence of Coruscant; Master Cilghal spent a day and a half rebuilding your shields and you've been sleeping in the Medical Center at the Jedi Temple for another day and a half. _Why_ didn't you spend time reinforcing your shields like you were supposed to? Did you forget that was one of the first things you ever taught me? Always, always, _always_ reinforce your mental shields before going into a new environment. That's what you always said."

Lwaxanna instinctually went to slap Deanna's face for impertinence, but her hand was caught a hairsbreadth from contact by Deanna's Force-enhanced reflexes. Taking her hand back, Lwaxanna spat, "I will _not_ be treated like a child by anyone Deanna Troi, much less by my own daughter. I am the _Daughter_ of the _Fifth_ house, Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx, Heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed!"

Riker came over and stood next to his wife and said, "I think she's back to normal Deanna."

Deanna heaved a sigh of her own and said, "Mother, the sacred chalice sits in the back of a closet with mold inside of it and the holy rings are little more than a rusty wind chime on the back porch of the house back on Betazed. When will you stop trying to use those things like some kind of talisman to ward off treatment that is more often as not, justly deserved? You _knew_ that you were coming to a new planet in a new galaxy. You _knew_ that its population numbered in the billions and those billions each have their very own mental presence, just as you _knew_ that your shields should have been reinforced until you could get a handle on things! Were you trying to turn yourself into a vegetable?"

Lwaxanna took another sip of water from the cup at her side, counted to ten mentally and said, "And so the Mother learns from the Daughter. The circle is now complete. I can feel that you're allowing me to sense your emotions. Your emotions tell me that your verbal chastisement is fueled by love so I'll give you a genuine answer Deanna . . . I'm stubborn."

Deanna threw her hands in the air laughed and said; "_Now_ you finally admit it. But then, you _are_ a daughter of the fifth house."

Lwaxanna chuckled this time. "I truly apologize for scaring you like I did Deanna. I didn't want to admit that I couldn't handle the overall situation. I hope you can forgive me my stubborn pride."

Hugging her mother tightly, Deanna sat back and said, "You wouldn't be my Mother if you didn't have that stubborn pride. At any rate, Master Cilghal says you'll be fine now but she left a PADD with some mental exercises for you so that your shields won't collapse again. These exercises come from the Force and are usually taught to the younglings but can be applied just as easily to adults. I had to become proficient myself before I could truly feel the Force so I know they work. Will you _please_ do them as directed? If for no other reason than for your daughter's peace of mind?"

Lwaxanna realized that there would be no swaying Deanna in this and said simply, "Yes, I will Deanna. Thank you for your concern."

Deanna and Will both waited for the inevitable conditions but when none were forthcoming, Riker said, "That's it? No conditions, no 'If I get around to it', just 'Yes'?"

Lwaxanna looked at her Son-in-Law and said, "You seem surprised that I can be swayed by simple logic William. If I never listened to truly knowledgeable advice, I'd have never joined the Federation Diplomatic Corps, or met Deanna's father in the first place. I may be stubborn, but I'm not stupid."

Riker said, "I never meant to imply that you are, it's just that I'm surprised is all."

Lwaxanna said, "That's good. Should the day come when I can't surprise you or any man for that matter, that's the day I retire. How long will I need to be here Deanna?"

Deanna answered, "If you're up to it, you can leave today. This whole situation has thrown a hydrospanner into the works. Once we get to the Diplomatic Corps lodging facility, there's a bunch of things you need to be brought up to speed on, or you can return with us to the Titan, whichever you're more comfortable with. There's been an incident involving Admiral Picard and one of the Jedi families here on Coruscant. Both Master Skywalker and Will in his capacity as Captain of the Titan think it could be the harbinger of something else much larger and potentially dangerous. We'll all need to be more cautious for the foreseeable future."

Lwaxanna said, "Let's go back to the ship then. There at least we'll be in more familiar surroundings and be in a better position to act."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

When Picard opened his eyes, it took him all of five seconds to realize he was on a Federation starship. He could recognize a Sickbay paint scheme at ten meters. Then he heard the barely audible hum of the atmosphere recirculators, felt the material of the self-regulating thermal cover on top of him and the feel of his regulation under shorts and shirt but for the moment, all he could smell was something like stale mint. A moment later the smell of stale mint could be tasted.

Beverly came into view looking down into his eyes, then to the bio-bed monitor on the bulkhead over the bed that her husband was in. Her dulcet voice said, "How do you feel?"

Smiling, Picard said, "Better, now that I've seen you. I won't belabor the obvious and ask where I am, but I will ask what happened? What in god's name is that disagreeable smell and why does my mouth taste like a one of Admiral McCoy's revolting mint juleps?"

Helping him up to an upright position, Beverly said, "In that order, the answers are, you were almost assassinated, the smell is from the bacta that you've been soaking in for a day and the taste too. Let me introduce you to the CMO aboard the Titan, Doctor Jamison Cruz."

Doctor Cruz walked over to stand next to his colleague when she motioned for him. Shaking his hand, Doctor Cruz said, "Admiral Picard, although I could have wished for a less dramatic method of meeting you, all the same, it is a pleasure sir. You sustained multiple blaster wounds and were burned across roughly 36% of your body. You've been in the bacta tank until just a couple of hours ago. What's the last thing you remember?"

Picard smiled politely and said, "I was in my speeder with my driver Elib Mayon. We were merging with the traffic on our way to the Residence in the old Imperial Palace. Elib was telling me that his children wanted to command starships of their own someday and I told him that if they work very hard in their academic courses, I would personally endorse their applications to Starfleet Academy. Speaking of Elib, how is he?"

Cruz spoke gently, "I'm sorry to have to tell you Admiral, but your driver didn't survive. He was already dead by the time we got your speeder through the cargo transporter and opened."

Picard's breath caught in his chest a moment as the doctor's statement sunk in. Picard had lost people before over the course of his career but it never got any easier. Elib had been a good person, more than an employee of the Consulate, almost a friend. "Has his family been notified yet? He asked.

Beverly spoke then, "Yes. They were contacted just this morning. I'm sorry Jean-Luc. I liked him too."

Burying the pain of loss, Picard said, "I would speak to his wife as soon as it's feasible. Has an official investigation been started at this time?"

Doctor Cruz said, "To my knowledge, it has Admiral. I called Captain Riker as soon as you woke up. He should be here any moment now but I'll have to ask him to keep this first meeting short. You were the first person I've put into the bacta tank and I want to keep you overnight for observation. The scent of the bacta should have dissipated by tomorrow morning. As to the taste, I have no idea on that. I've read patient accounts that state for some people it's gone within a few hours, others, as much as a week. For the purpose of my Medical Officer's Log, I'd like you to tell me these things as they happen so I can start to build a performance profile for Starfleet Medical in regards to the bacta."

Picard nodded and said, "Very well Doctor."

Cruz went back to his office and Beverly sat on the edge of the bio-bed. Picard said, "What is it Beverly? This isn't the first time I've almost been killed, nor the first time I've ended up in Sickbay."

She looked at him and said softly, "Don't you _dare_ trivialize this Jean-Luc Picard! I could've lost you just like I lost Jack and that would have destroyed me! Did you have any idea at all that anyone might try and kill you? Have there been any threats made against the Consulate or you before this? Has there been anything out of the ordinary lately? Anything at all?"

Picard answered, "Not to my knowledge Beverly; I don't mean to trivialize anything about what happened and I'm sorry if it came out that way, but I have had to get used to the fact that these things _do_ happen from time to time. You more than most, are aware of this as a Doctor."

She answered back, "I _know_ that but knowing doesn't make it any easier. I couldn't do anything for Jack and I'll be damned if I don't put forth every ounce of my medical skill or knowledge to prevent you from dying on my watch. Get used to it."

Reaching out to his wife and running his hand through her golden-red hair and then to her cheek he said, "I wouldn't have it any other way Mrs. Crusher-Picard. Count on that."

Placing her hands on either side of her husband's head she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss and then put her forehead to his and relished the fact that he was still alive. Neither of them heard the doors to Sickbay open.

Riker coughed lightly and said, "I'm sorry to interrupt Admiral. I just arrived back on board and came from the shuttle bay with Deanna, Lwaxanna and two visitors from Coruscant." Stepping aside slightly he gestured to the two women next to him, both of whom were wearing lightsabers and said, "You may remember former Chief Petty Officer Michelle Karú turned Jedi Padawan. With her today is the newly promoted Jedi Master Shaznia Dree-Jayks, the wife of Ryu Jayks, also newly promoted to Master, the cousin of Padawan Karú. Master Dree-Jayks and her husband Ryu are the Jedi in charge of their end of the investigation."

Beverly let go of her husband and stood next to the bed as Picard said, "I most certainly do. Good to see you again Padawan Karú. How are you and how is your training progressing?"

Michelle said, "Good to see you again too sir. I'm fine and Master Jaina says that I'll probably be ready for the Trials in another year or two though I'm in no great hurry to be confirmed as a full Jedi Knight. There's so _much_ to learn and absorb. Thank you for asking."

Looking at the woman standing next to Michelle, Picard extended a hand and said, "I vaguely remember seeing you waiting for your husband on the landing platform just after the Treaty with the New Republic/Imperial Remnant had been ratified by the Federation Council, but I don't think we've been formally introduced; Rear Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, Ambassador-at-Large to the New Republic; congratulations on you and your husband's promotion. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance Master Dree-Jayks."

Accepting the proffered hand, Shazi shook and said, "Thank you and I'm very glad to meet you as well Admiral. Deanna speaks highly of you. As Captain Riker said, my husband and I have been assigned by Master Skywalker as the Jedi liaison to Starfleet Security. My son Kenod was attacked several days ago by a trio of nonhumans. The Force is telling us that the two incidents, your attempted assassination and the attack on my son are related somehow. So far, our investigation is turning up leads that could in turn lead to something larger that could affect the New Republic's relations with the Federation. We're not sure how just yet so Master Skywalker assigned us to this. When you're up to it, I'd like to interview you in detail. The Jedi Order will share everything we learn with Starfleet Security."

Picard asked, "Is your son alright?"

Shazi said, "Yes, he's fine, and he's already left Coruscant on his own mission for the Order so at least no one will try to attack him again, we hope."

Riker spoke then, "I've already cancelled shore leave and recalled all of my people to the Titan and the Federation Embassy is on Yellow Alert. I've also spoken to a Senior Detective So Leet of the New Republic Peace Officer Corps and he says that he'll be happy to work with our people on this but Deanna says he's _anything_ but happy to be working with others on this. The first thing he said to me as soon as he saw Deanna's lightsaber was 'more Jedi interference?' Master Dree-Jayks has mentioned a little of their findings so far and this Senior Detective So Leet seems to be involved, if only circumstantially, up to his beard."

Doctor Cruz came back in just then and said, "Captain I have to ask you to leave now. Please conduct your interview after I release the Admiral from Sickbay. His vital signs are starting to spike a little from the stress hormones that your information is causing to be released."

Riker nodded, then turned to Picard and said, "I'm very glad that we were able to get to you in time Admiral. Is there anything I can do for you right now until you get released from Sickbay?"

Picard nodded and said, "Yes there is Will. Please contact the wife of my driver Elib Mayon and have it routed to me down here. I need to speak to her." Cruz started to object when Picard said, "This _will_ not wait Doctor. Make it so. Do you understand?"

All the doctor could say was, "Aye-aye Captain. I'll get on the COMM with the Bridge momentarily."

Riker expressed his relief for the Admiral's well being again and then escorted the two Jedi out of Sickbay.

Beverly said, "Do you want me to stay Jean-Luc?"

He said, "That would be kind of you Beverly but it won't be necessary."

She nodded and went back into Cruz's office just as the built-in COMM panel came out of its storage compartment. A few moments later, a Bothan face came onscreen. A feminine voice came out, "Mayon Residence. This isn't a good time."

Picard said, "Am I speaking with Elib Mayon's widow?" When she nodded yes, he continued, "We've never met, but my name is Jean-Luc Picard and I'm the Ambassador-at-Large to the New Republic from the United Federation of Planets. I wanted to extend to you and your children my personal condolences on the loss of your husband Elib Mayon."

"Elib spoke very highly of you Admiral. I thank you for contacting me personally. My children are very upset right now, so please forgive me if I come across as rude, but is there anything you can tell me about his death?"

Picard said, "I can tell you it was murder, Madam. _I_ was the target, and Elib got caught up in it, I'm very sorry for that. I have just met one of the Jedi Masters who will be looking into this matter. She believes that the attempt on my life and the attempted assault on her own son only a short time ago are related somehow. I can also assure you that Starfleet Security will be looking into this matter as well and I have no doubt that it will be resolved. There was also a second matter I wanted to speak of. Before your husband's death, he spoke to me about his children wanting to command starships someday. When you have grieved, please contact me at the Federation Consulate. Elib wanted to be the one to tell them that I would endorse their applications, should they choose to make them when they're old enough, now, as a matter of honor, it falls to me to do this. Whether they choose to apply to Starfleet Academy or follow another path, _I_ will sponsor them in any way I am able."

Elib's widow said, "I would be eternally grateful if you do Admiral Picard, but I must ask why?"

Picard said, "Because I told Elib I would, Madam and it's the honorable thing to do. As I told Elib, everyone deserves to fulfill their potential and I meant every word. Starfleet won't be easy, but then nothing worth doing ever is. I just wanted you to know. Again, you have my heartfelt condolence in your time of loss. Please contact me when you're ready, and we'll talk at length."

"Thank you very, very much Admiral. Elib was right, you are a good man. I will be in touch, in time. Thank you for calling. Goodbye." She said.

Picard answered, "You are very welcome Madam. Goodbye for now."

**Main Cargo Bay**

Michelle had dropped Shaznia off at the shuttle bay saying that she would call later after she had the preliminary reports from the examination of the Admiral's speeder. As she entered, the sterile, dry smell of recirculated cargo bay air brought to mind memories of when she had served aboard the Titan. Looking around, she found the speeder and two engineers, to judge by their uniforms, going over the vehicle. One was using a diagnostic terminal going over the raw data from the vehicle's systems, while the other was using a tricorder that had been reconfigured for engineering.

Calling out she said, "What have you found so far Chief?"

The Chief Petty Officer in question turned at the sound of the hail, saw the woman coming towards him and thought at first that an off-duty crewperson had walked in on what was supposed to be a sealed area due to the nature of the ongoing investigation. "Can I help you crewman? I think you got off the turbolift on the wrong deck, this is a restricted area."

Michelle knew that she didn't quite fit in wearing the tan shin-high boots, matching utility pants and top, utility belt with her lightsaber, comlink and money pouch that she had on at the moment and said, "Actually Chief, I'm here to help you. My name is Michelle Karú. I used to be a Chief Technician on board the Titan. I've been assigned by the Jedi Order to head up the engineering side of the investigation."

The Chief's face lit up with recognition as he said, "That's right, now I remember. Commander Sarin said that we would be getting someone to liaison with us; I recall now that he mentioned you used to be in Starfleet. My name is Kyle Rosim and the pair of legs you see sticking out of the door over there belong to crewman Moro."

The indicated legs wiggled and a disembodied voice called out, "Hello there Chief. Good to see you again."

Michelle smiled and said, "Still getting into your work I see Keichi. It's Michelle now; technically I'm retired so you don't have to call me Chief anymore."

The voice answered back, "You're still the Chief as far as I'm concerned Michelle."

Chief Rosim said, "You and Keichi are obviously acquainted. How would you like me to address you then? "

Michelle turned back to Rosim and said, "Well, I'd prefer you call me Michelle or you can call me Padawan Learner if you prefer. How would you like to be addressed since we're on the subject?"

Rosim smiled back and said, "You can call me Kyle; that'll be fine. 'Padawan Learner' is kind of a mouthful so I think Michelle will work."

Michelle answered back, "I think so too but it's just a formality. What have you got so far Kyle?"

The two stood next to the terminal as Rosim said, "We've just started pulling the raw data from the black box recorders. This includes telemetry, direction of travel, speed, weather conditions and latest automated traffic updates among other things. I've only just started to build a visual representation of the chain of events, so I hope you'll forgive the crude imagery . . ."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The morning after the initial interview with Admiral Picard, Shaznia woke up alone. Feeling the sheets where her husband usually lay found them cool to the touch. Expanding her senses, she felt Ryu's presence in the living room; felt him meditating deeply. Getting out of bed and putting on a light robe, she mentally replayed her interview with Admiral Picard from the day before as she exited the bedroom. She had left Michelle on the Titan to assist the Engineers in going over the speeder and its "black box" information. Michelle would call her back up to the Titan when she had the results of her inspection and the Admiral was ready for a more detailed interview.

Entering the living room, she saw her husband, still in his nightclothes, meditating in a suspended split like his father before him was known to do from time to time. Shaznia preferred to meditate in a regular cross-legged sitting position. She was just as flexible as Ryu but never felt the need to place herself in a suspended position. As she got closer she did a double-take when she saw that Ryu was actually floating a few centimeters _above_ the blocks he usually used.

Thinking to herself, '_I remember now, a few years before Ryu's mother Gabrielle passed into the Force when she told me about how she had conspired, more or less, to get Luke to come to New Hope and promote Ronin to Master. She told me about the waves of peace and contentment that would roll off of him when he meditated. It got so that even if she consciously ignored the Force, she could still feel his power emanations. Ryu's not there yet but if he's already started to levitate a little, it won't be much longer until he becomes as strong as his father . . . maybe even stronger.'_

As Shaznia came to stand before her husband, he gently lowered back onto the blocks, reached down to the floor and recovered from his suspended split then changed to a kneeling position, Shaznia knelt with him. Ryu opened his eyes and smiled at his wife.

"Good morning Shazi. Sleep well?"

She answered, "I was sleeping great until your absence woke me."

The silence was thick until Shaznia spoke, "Please tell me what you're feeling."

Ryu took a breath, "I'm feeling trepidation mixed with a little excitement for what I will undertake today. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't even a little concerned about my plan to go underground to find Xoran and get the information I need. You were right when you pointed out that it's been something like twenty years since I competed last. Even so, I _know_ I can do this and I'd be lying again if I said that I was ambivalent about fighting again. As un-Jedi as it may sound, I still enjoy a good fight on a level playing field when only the swiftness of limb, the hardness of knuckle, will determine the outcome. The Force is clear, the only way I'll get what I need it to meet Xoran. Meet him and defeat him. Besides, I have a little something extra that will help and it's not the Force, though of course, that is part and parcel of who I am, who _we_ are together Shazi."

"What do you mean? She asked.

He pointed to the low table in front of the couch to a box on it and said, "Hand me that box please." When she did, he opened it to reveal four pieces of equipment that she had never seen before; a pair of gauntlet-like hand pieces and two rectangular pieces that clearly went over the instep of a foot.

"What are these? I've never seen them before today." Shazi asked.

Ryu answered, "There in lies a tale to tell, if you want to hear it." When Shazi nodded yes, Ryu said, "Neither of my parents was particularly skilled in Farsight. My dad told me once of the flashes that he and my mom got about the first base they were stationed on during the Rebellion, about how it would be attacked by the Empire. I also remember one time my mom mentioned to me about the images she received about the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4 several years before it existed. But my dad did tell me once of a Farsight sequence he had. At the time, he was teaching me to differentiate wishful thinking from genuine insight through the Force. He told me that in this vision he had, there was a man with his face and name but he wasn't from the Federation homeworld. He was from Bakura. He was also a nonpracticing believer in the Bakuran religion of Balance. But unlike my father, who was trained as a Jedi, this person was a Force Adept, a wilder, if you will. He was Force Sensitive yes, but never trained. He used the Force unconsciously. Anyway, this Adept was a full contact shock-boxer."

Shazi sat back a moment, "Shock-Boxer? I haven't heard that term in a long time. Is it still actively practiced?"

Ryu answered, "Its popularity has waxed and waned over the years. Currently it is experiencing something of a comeback though the GFC frowns on it as a fighting style, and doesn't allow it in any official events that it sponsors. This Adept had a special set of shock-boxing equipment that he had made. He was good and went on to win an enormous monetary prize in a galaxy-wide tournament. Shortly after his win, he was employed by a group of travelers as a bodyguard for a passenger of some importance. Before these travelers got very far, the Empire picked them up on some charge or another. The group as a whole save for this person with my father's name and face was executed as sympathizers to the defunct Rebel Alliance."

The question was clear in Shaznia's exclamation of "Defunct?"

Ryu continued, "Yes, defunct. The Alliance was defeated at The Battle of Endor, the fleet, what few ships remained to it was scattered and on the run. Luke was in hiding but my Father's vision didn't explain how he escaped the Death Star or if he was even there. A Dark Side Adept, one of several Prophets of the Dark Side that Palpatine had recruited had taken an interest in the person and decided to begin his training in the Dark Side of the Force. While it was clear to my Father in his vision that the ultimate goal was to convert this Adept to the Dark Side, the training was very cunning and disguised as a series of missions that would have consumed this Adept before he was even aware of it. The training didn't get very far though, the Adept died on his second or third mission and since he had been naturally attuned to the Force, he passed into it leaving nothing behind but an all weather cloak and a lightsaber that had been given him by the Prophet. My Father had decided, on a lark, to build the fighting equipment that his alternate self had used."

Shazi took one of the hand-pieces and one of the foot-pieces out of the box and examined them. She could feel the supple sturdiness in both pieces as she turned them over in her hands. "What are they made of and how are they of any use?"

Ryu said, "Both sets, the hand and foot pieces are made of two pieces of custom formed nerf-hide leather. Sandwiched between the two layers is a microfilament mesh attached to a pair of powercells. When activated and in turn when they impact their targets, a shock is administered at the point of impact. The shock is low power if compared to a stun blast from a blaster and won't cause unconsciousness right away, but there is a momentary numbing effect paired with the impact of the fist or foot. I'm pretty sure you can imagine what the end result can be."

Shazi shivered as she thought it through and then put the pieces together in her mind. With a sharp intake of breath, she said, "You mean to tell me that you'll be fighting with these?"

Ryu's grimace was unmistakable as he took the equipment from his wife's hands and placed it back in the box. "Afraid so; I've already done some research and the underground fight circuits have started to allow shock gear back into their fights in an effort to get the betting even higher, and in order to get where I need to, I've also withdrawn a thousand credits for food, shelter and to make some bets if I need to."

Getting to his feet, Ryu walked back to the bedroom with the box in hand. Shaznia was only moments behind him. She wanted to object, vehemently, but couldn't. She looked on as Ryu packed his shoulder bag, the one he carried with him everywhere, with an extra gi, some underclothes, a first-aid kit, a lightweight thermal blanket and a couple of towels. On top of that, he put a small bag that clinked with credit chips and the equipment from the box over that. Tying off his bag, Ryu started to change into a clean gi when Shazi said, "Let me help you."

While Ryu stood there, Shazi took a clean gi out of their closet and just as she did once before, long ago, before his final bout in the GFC that earned Ryu the title of 'Galaxy's Strongest', Shazi dressed the man she loved more than her own life. After he stepped into the pants, she tied them snugly at his waist with the proper knot. Then she put his sleeveless gi jacket on and tied it down in the cross-tie at both hips. From there she took a black belt out of a drawer that was clearly worn and frayed at the edges, its symbology a little faded but more than legible, tied it around his waist so that both ends dangled evenly at a mid-point on his upper thighs and finished his ensemble off with a clean, bright red headband tied behind his head with another sturdy knot. Embracing him tightly she said into his ear, "I know that there's nothing I can say or do that will change your mind in this except to tell you again, I love you."

Returning the embrace, he looked deeply into her eyes, kissed her and said before leaving, "I know."

**Industrial Sector, Empty Zone**

Fey'lya was livid, and the fur on his head rippled in time with his temper. Turning on his Aide, Tereb Koth, he said in a tightly controlled voice, "You imbecile! You fail not once, but twice in a span of less than half a month!"

Pointing to a copy of the holorecord of Kenod Jayks firing off his energy blast that the mole in the NRPC had provided, Fey'lya said, "Why did you not inform those thugs of the possibility that the Jayks boy could do this?"

Koth, his eyes downcast in shame said, "Until this occurrence, only the Jedi Master Ryu Jayks was known to be able to perform that technique, even then only in hearsay. I did not act directly. To better shield you from possible discovery and thereby protect our goal, the coordinator was contacted by an anonymous party_, _and _was_ warned that Kenod Jayks was a full Jedi Knight. Perhaps the coordinator chose to omit that particular piece of information when he recruited Barab and Xoran for the kind of wet-work the plan called for. It was thought that three operatives, two of them to actually carry out the assault, would be enough."

With scorn thick in his voice, Fey'lya said, "Well obviously not near enough. Every time I think I've studied my enemy enough, they pull something new out of the cosmic ether! Who gave the order to attempt an outright assassination on Picard? It's far too early for that level of intimidation. I remind you again that at this stage, the goal is only to _cause_ fear and uncertainty, to _accumulate_ the power that will allow us to act more forcefully later. Who gave permission to that Rodian group?"

Koth's fur rippled weakly as he said, "I must take responsibility for that sir. I approached the Rodian group discreetly, with my face covered and my voice altered and had them plant the sensor on the window of Ambassador Picard's office in the Consulate so that we could begin to build a profile on his movements and plan for the time when we could strike. I _was_ aware of the instructions to only intimidate, but I had the impression that if we could do something more direct then that could only help bring our goal closer."

Fey'lya yelled this time, "BRING OUR GOAL CLOSER! Your ill-advised and poorly planned attempt on Picard's life may actually have set our goal further away! Eliminate the coordinator who selected the operatives for the assault on the Jayks boy and round up that Rodian group, isolate them and have their current leader killed very slowly in front of the rest of them as an example of what happens when a failure of this magnitude is allowed to happen. When that is completed, have our agitators step up their protests and basic harassment, but suspend all other actions of a more direct nature for now and have those groups lay low for the time being. After I've played to the ignorant masses and rattled my saber over the 'disgraceful' and 'dishonorable' actions of a desperately fanatic few, then we can move forward in the _proper_ manner, at the _proper_ time; but make no mistake Tereb, this was your one and _only_ mistake that I will overlook. If you _ever_ overstep yourself or the parameters of my plan again, you will _not_ like the consequences. Am I perfectly clear? Now, get out of my sight."

Koth's fur rippled again in shame as he met Fey'lya's eyes and said, "Understood sir."

Five minutes after Koth left, Fey'lya turned in his seat to his comm-unit, activated his encryption, voice and visual alteration and frequency bounce, thereby rendering it impossible to trace his signal and placed a call. Moments later a Falleen face came onscreen. The image only said one word, "Speak."

"You are certain that Ryu Jayks is coming to you?" Fey'lya asked.

The image answered, "I have Forseen it. He will make his way to me in my domain, and I will render him a nonviable threat to the plan."

Fey'lya said, "You _are_ aware that he is a Jedi Master now, aren't you?"

The image said, "I am. But I have in place what I need. Though I don't plan to kill him at this time as that would bring the full weight of the Jedi Order down on us, I _can _at least render him a nonviable threat."

Fey'lya nodded, "That will have to do for now. When everything has come to pass, then you can kill him if you like."

The image's voice dropped a degree or two, "_I_ don't need your permission for that. When the time is right, and he and I meet, one of us will not survive."

The image blinked out and Fey'lya sat back in his seat and contemplated a Newer Republic, _his_ Republic.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Ryu made his way to the Demon's Battle Cave Sector. It wasn't actually called the 'Demon's Battle Cave Sector' but it was the more widely known name for that area of Coruscant. Even though he had not competed since his GFC days, he had decided to wear what he always wore from those days, a gi with the sleeves neatly removed and matching gi pants. He wore one of his father's belts with its strange, to Ryu, symbology and a red headband. His father had said the symbols on the belt were four of the five elements in the cycle of nature to be found on what Ryu knew now to be the Federation homeworld. Even with the passage of so much time, he still knew where the fights were to be found. He had acquired that knowledge when invitations to the fights had started to arrive at his dojo, or a fighter would enter the dojo to challenge Ryu to a fight. He never accepted these challenges as that he knew he had nothing to prove to anyone and simply told them to leave.

His first hurdle came in the form of the security goons that stood guard on the main entrance to the arena that was controlled by Xoran. A touch of the Force in the form of the usually effective 'affect mind' and he was past them. From there, he simply followed the crowd noise that steadily grew in volume until he found himself standing before the Registration Desk.

A three-eyed Gran looked up from the terminal he was working at with all of his eyes before pointedly ignoring Ryu by focusing back on his screen and said, "What do you want human? Come for the fights? Humans aren't usually allowed here at the Demon's Battle Cave so you had better leave."

"Xoran is expecting me, so I think it's safe to say that the 'No Humans' rule does not apply here." Ryu said,

The clerk raised one eyestalk, keeping the other two on his work, and said, "You still here? Are you altered or something; sniff a little spice? I said, GET LOST!"

Ryu said, "You're being rude now. I've come to compete, now register my name and let's be done with it."

The clerk rolled all three of his eyes and said, "Enough of this tauntaun spit", and pressed a control on his console. A moment later, a red-eyed, green skinned Neimoidian armed with two blasters in quick draw holsters on his hips, at least two sheathed vibroblades that could be seen and a bad attitude came out of an adjoining room.

His Basic was thickly accented but still intelligible as he said, "You got a problem Acks?"

The clerk, Acks, pointed at Ryu and said, "Yea I do Grogge, this human germ says he's here to compete and now he won't leave even after I've told him that humans aren't allowed."

Ryu interjected, "You said humans are _usually_ allowed. There is a difference between 'not allowed' and 'usually not allowed'."

Acks snapped, "Don't split oxygen molecules with me human!"

At this moment, a pair of Neimoidians entered the room from a different entrance. They were both dressed in the more elaborate robes and headpieces of the wealthy versus the first one, Grogge, who was clearly a thug for hire. The slightly taller one said in a more cultured tone, "What seems to be the problem?"

Acks's voice immediately took on a more civil note and said, "I'm sorry to interrupt your wagering on the fights sir, but we have a human who wants to compete and I'm trying to tell him that humans don't get to compete here at the Demon's Battle Cave but he's not getting the holopicture. Grogge here was just about to persuade the human to leave."

Ryu finally grew tired of being talked about as if he wasn't there and said, "I have a name and once you hear it, I think you'll let me register."

Acks said, "I don't give a krayt dragon's dropping what your name is human! Grogge, escort this pile of poodoo out."

As Grogge came to stand in front of Ryu, the shorter of the two gamblers could be heard to say, "500 credits says that the human won't be 'escorted' out."

The taller one said, "You're on, 500 credits it is."

Ryu dropped his bag from his shoulder as he became one with the Force and let his hands hang loosely in front of him. Angling his forehead, he shifted his weight to the balls of both feet and jumped forward slightly.

Even though Neimoidians don't have noses, they do have a skull wrapped in connecting facial muscle covered in soft skin tissue. As Ryu's forehead connected with Grogge's face, the crunch of bone and bruising skin was heard. Grogge's head rocked with the impact as Ryu landed. Grogge stood there momentarily and then keeled over to lie on his back, eyes half-closed with visible fluid leaking from both eyes.

The shorter one said, "500 credits please", to his companion.

The taller one took a small hand unit out of a pocket in his robe, pressed a button and said to the shorter one, "Double or nothing," as another Neimoidian thug for hire came out of the same room that Grogge had emerged from barely two minutes previous.

The shorter one said, "You're on."

The second thug came forward in a fighting stance, ready for action.

Ryu spun on one foot and connected with a spinning heel kick to the face of the new challenger. The second one never even saw it coming and ended up unconscious and on the ground a few meters away from Grogge.

The tall one pressed another control and this time two thugs, a pair of Zabraks, came out. "Double or nothing," he said in a more nervous tone.

Ryu took a breath and fired off a deep side thrust kick that connected with the one on the left as soon as he got into range. The solid smack of Ryu's foot as it impacted against the Zabrak's chest was heard clearly and this one went down. His partner tried to grab Ryu from behind but caught a spinning left elbow in the gut followed by an upward elbow smash to the jaw from Ryu's right elbow from a deep zenkutsu-dachi. This one too, was done.

Almost frantic now, the taller one pressed one last control stud on the control unit, and three Weequays came into the room; "Double or Nothing!" he said yet again.

By this time, several people had shown up and a small audience had formed with wagers being made hand over fist or their equivalent appendages. The three Weequays moved in a line at Ryu. Ryu moved into the three by going to the ground and rolled sideways with one hand covering his face as well as helping roll with a fair amount of speed. The three tripped over Ryu's rolling body. Ryu recovered to his feet first and slid in on the first Weequay to get to his feet and delivered a left-right combination to the body capped off with a standing uppercut that caught the first Weequay square under the chin and sent him sprawling. The second Weequay only got up to one knee when Ryu grabbed him by the sides of his head and delivered a standing knee thrust to the head, sending the second Weequay back to the ground to lie there. The third one had recovered to his feet completely and fired off his own right-left combination with a right round kick tossed in for good measure. Ryu slapped both punches down and away and raised one leg to block the kick on his shin. With the blocking leg, Ryu lashed out with a knife-edge kick that hit the Weequay at the top of his ribcage, causing him to step back. Ryu followed up, "Tatsu-Maki!" and connected with his other foot by using a short duration hurricane kick to cause the third to go down. This one did a backward roll and tried to get up but Ryu was already standing in front of the downed man. Ryu arched one foot up, his shin practically touching his shoulder and started an axe-kick when a voice from above called out, "THAT'S ENOUGH!" Ryu stopped his foot just as it touched the back of the Weequay's head and stood there on one foot momentarily before shifting his weight on his supporting foot to bring his kicking foot back to the floor.

Looking up to the source of the voice, Ryu saw Xoran standing on a balcony leaning on the rail with both hands looking down into the Registration Area. His clothing was made of shimmersilk and custom-made. His boots were polished to a bright sheen and his hair veritably glowed in the light from where it protruded in an immaculate topknot.

Xoran looked down at Acks and said, "Its clear how it has finished, but what started this?"

Acks looked up at his employer and said, "I'm sorry to have disturbed you Master, but this human wouldn't leave when I told him he couldn't register to compete. Grogge was called in to escort him out but before he could, the Namor brothers came in and placed a bet on whether or not the human would leave. It kind of got out of control from there."

Looking over to the two Neimoidians he said, "I only heard the 'double or nothing', how much is owed and to whom is it owed?"

The short one spoke, "Master, I offered the first bet, but instead of paying out on the first fight and letting it go, my brother kept offering double or nothing until it came to your attention. The bet on the first fight was for 500 credits. Double that for the second fight made 1000; _double_ that for the third fight made 2000, and the last fight with the three Weequays went double or nothing and ended up at 4000 credits."

Shifting his eyes to the taller of the two, Xoran said, "Pars Namor, ordinarily I would overlook a minor side bet such as has just transpired here today, but since you could not be a graceful loser and since you already owe your younger brother Torse Namor 4000 credits, you will now pay the sum of 10,000 credits for violating _my_ rules concerning large stakes side bets outside of the Demon's Battle Cave,." The taller Neimoidian took a breath to speak out in protest when Xoran cut him off with a gesture, and said, "If you wish to continue betting here in the Demon's Battle Cave, you will pay the 10,000 to your younger brother. Torse Namor, _you _will pay 2000 for the inconvenience to our newest entry into the Cave, a man you should have heard of at some point, the retired Galactic Fight Commission Champion, the man who took the title of 'Galaxy's Strongest', and newly promoted Jedi Master, Ryu Jayks."

There was an audible gasp from several spectators around the room as Ryu's name circulated. Even Acks appeared chagrined.

Ryu's eyes met Xoran's. He said, "You know why I'm here and it's not for your money."

Xoran motioned with one hand to take in the entire arena and surrounding area, chuckled and said, "Indeed I do Master Jedi, but you will have to work your way up through the tournament just like any other fighter. Your first fight will be tomorrow. I am fully aware of the limitations the Jedi voluntarily placed themselves under when the Charter for the reconstituted Jedi Order was drafted. Since you cannot arrest me until I knowingly act directly against you or you have better proof than the notoriously low resolution quality of an astromech's holographic recording, you must comply with _my_ rules. I control everything here in the Demon's Battle Cave, and I have something very special planned for you for your fights in my Cave. Comply with the conditions I set, and if you make it through my tournament to face me in the final, and if you defeat me, then and _only_ then will I give you what you want."

Ryu nodded and said, "I figured that would be your thoughts on the matter at hand. So be it. I'll play your game for now."

Xoran simply said, "Yes, you will."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

As the crowd dispersed and the clean-up crew began picking up the unconscious or semi-conscious fighters, the shorter Neimoidian, Torse, walked up and handed Ryu a coin purse that was noticeably full. He said, "Thanks to you, I just turned a profit on today's bets, even with the penalty fee I just paid. It wasn't a good day for my wagering until you came along and it's getting even better now that my brother is helping himself to a healthy helping, figuratively speaking, of mynock pie. Pleasure doing business with you Jedi Jayks; I'll be watching your fights very closely for this tournament."

Ryu looked around as Torse walked away still chuckling to himself, and saw a Falleen child, barely more than a youngling, standing next to his bag by the wall. Going over to the wall and looking at the child, he could tell that the child was a girl, a little on the scrawny side; her pants were just a hair too short in the legs indicating that she had outgrown them but probably couldn't afford another pair, her sandals could be seen to have been repaired more than once but were serviceable and her shirt was baggy but tucked in. Her hair was lank and hung down straight on her pale green head and looked as though it could've used a thorough washing. As if to further illustrate, in Ryu's mind, the old cliché of the 'Diamond in the Rough', the youngling was Force Sensitive, though he could tell that she was unaware of it. He said, "How much to get my bag back young one?"

The girl met Ryu's eyes unflinchingly and said, "How'd you know it would cost you anything?"

Ryu answered, "I remember this kind of environment from when I was a wandering fighter many years ago, practically everything is for sale, even things that don't belong to the seller; so, how much?"

The girl made some mental calculations and said, "250 credits."

Ryu laughed and said, "250? That's complete piracy and you know it; 25 credits."

The girl countered, "150."

Ryu countered back, still too much, 50 credits."

The girl clearly knew how to haggle as her tone of voice didn't waver as she said, "I can see you're a smart man when it comes to money and I'll give you a special discount and go down to 125 credits, final offer."

Ryu smiled again and said, "Even though I could just _take_ my bag back, I like your spirit young one so I'll make you a better offer. 100 credits a day to be my shadow while I'm competing in Xoran's tournament."

The girl considered the offer a moment and said, "Clarify."

Ryu answered, "For 100 credits a day, you watch my gear and make sure no one tries to steal it, you find me a place to sleep that's clean and relatively close by and a place to get food and water that's safe to consume, as a bonus, if my accommodations have extra space, you can stay on a piece of furniture or in a corner, safe in the knowledge that you can sleep without having to worry about someone or something ripping your throat out. I'll even toss in the 50 credits I offered before, this time as an advance; final offer."

The girl thought about it for a moment longer and said, "I'll take that deal, but you can skip the shelter option. I may live in the slums but I already have a little place of my own that keeps the rain and the hawkbat droppings off my head and protects me from the wind currents that can be generated in the narrow spaces between the buildings down here. I even have a PADD that I repaired and a splice into the data stream. Otherwise, you've got yourself a personal assistant and shadow. My name is Nirri; nice to meet you Master Jayks."

Handing over two 25 credit pieces and taking his bag back with a toss over his shoulder, he said, "Resourceful and spirited. That's a rare combination anywhere. You can just call me Ryu if you like Nirri. While I officially register, you can start earning your keep by finding me a place to stay. Remember, clean and relatively close by."

Nirri said before running off, "You got it. I'll meet you back here in a half hour."

After Nirri ran off, Ryu went up to the Desk. This time Acks was all smiles as he said, "I've already registered you for the tournament sir and the sign up fee was waived by the Master of the Battle Cave, but I have to warn you, this tournament will feature shock-gear instead of bare knuckles. If you still want to proceed, and if you have your own equipment, please place it on the testing panel and then look around and get a feel for the venue. Your first fight is tomorrow morning at 1000hrs."

Ryu showed Acks his shock gear and placed it on the nearby measuring panel to make sure it was in compliance with established shock-boxing power levels. When the test was done, Ryu put his gear back in the top of his bag tied it and threw it back over his shoulder before entering the tiered seating area through a set of double doors that opened with a pneumatic hiss and closed almost soundlessly. The arena was set up like many others that Ryu had been in. The platform where the fights would be taking place looked to be about three and a half to four meters to a side, square and elevated slightly. Plenty of room to move whether the move was to evade, attack or counter. Performing a Force scan revealed no hidden surprises in or on the platform. Looking around still more, Ryu saw the private boxes where the high stakes gamblers like the Neimoidian brothers would sit and one very special box seat that could only belong to Xoran. A plush and spacious chair, almost throne-like sat in the center of the box, flanked by two smaller seats, probably reserved for very special guests. The box itself was suspended on a set of repulsors that would allow it to be lowered to the edge of the platform itself, presumably so that Xoran could step onto the platform to work the crowd or defend his title as 'Master' of the Demon's Battle Cave. Ryu could just barely sense a very strange and somehow familiar dead zone far above the platform, further than he could see. He could barely make out the seams where a set of doors would open, maybe to lower something into the arena but he couldn't figure out what though.

Sooner than he realized, it was time to meet Nirri and go settle into his accommodations. This promised to be an interesting tournament Ryu mused to himself.

A short time later, Nirri had taken Ryu to where he would stay, a small hostel, barely one quarter of a kilometer away. His room was small but serviceable and the scent of clean linen was sharp inside. His room shared a 'fresher station with the adjoining room that was empty at the moment. The two rooms, Ryu's and the empty one both had their own door to the 'fresher that could be locked so there were no serious concerns about a break in. Down the hallway from his room and down a small flight of stairs was the dining area that held four tables at the moment but it was clear that it could hold more if needs be. Leaving his bag in his room and locking the door, Ryu went to the dining area and decided on a light, early dinner. At his request, Nirri stayed and dined with him. As they waited for their food, Ryu spoke.

"So, Nirri, how did you end up down here?"

Nirri answered, "Don't really know. I remember my mom, or at least I think it was my mom. Whether it was or not, my earliest memories are of her taking care of me until about four standard years ago or so. She sent me to one of the small markets that can be found that sell basic staples but won't gouge you on the price too badly. When I got back, she was gone. No message, no sign of anything bad happening, just gone. Rent came due but there was nothing for it so I packed a bag and started walking. I stopped walking when I came into the Demon's Battle Cave Sector and been here ever since. I originally went to one of the Falleen sectors but no one was interested in gutter trash like me so I left instead of trying to fit in, a stranger to my own species."

"That you've been alone for at least four years and managed to survive is quite a testament to your resourcefulness." Ryu said.

Nirri smiled and said, "It's not that bad really. My mom taught me early how to take care of myself. You have to remember that we Falleen mature a little quicker than you humans. If you were to compare me to a human, you might think that I was only nine or ten standard years old when I'm really closer to twelve, but since my species matures a little sooner and we live a fair stretch longer, I'm the equivalent, mentally speaking, of a sixteen or seventeen year old human."

Ryu nodded his head, "I can tell already that you have at least the basic education. You clearly read and speak Basic fluently and you're well spoken as well; do you understand any other languages?"

Nirri answered, "I understand my own language but only if it's spoken slowly and clearly, but I can't speak it very well or write it at all. There's not much need for it down here. I've picked up some Rodian, Huttese, and Gran, but not much else. I also have a knack for fixing small things like that PADD I mentioned. When I found it, it had just come out of a garbage chute and was still smoking. I removed all of the burnt out hardware, found the bits and pieces I needed and repaired it to minimal function, enough to tap into the data stream and keep up on current events as well as access the 'Starter' files on various academic subjects. I get along okay for the most part. It's almost like I have a compass in my head sometimes; it led me to the location where I built my shelter and it helps me find odd jobs here and there for credits on the barrelhead as the saying goes, I've never had to steal to survive nor have I had to sell myself or anything else along those lines. I've done messenger stuff, delivery stuff, finding places and things for fighters like you. I may be considered gutter trash in some places but I don't believe for a nanosecond that I'm worthless."

Ryu said, "That's good, that's very good to hear. No one should be treated as anything less than a sentient being regardless of their upbringing. Do you plan on staying in the lower sectors your whole life though?"

Answering emphatically, she said, "Not on your life! I've already been saving up so that as soon as I get my chronological majority in four more years, I'm getting out of this hole! I don't know where though just yet, but I won't be staying here any longer than I have to. If what I've been reading about in the data stream is accurate, I might try to enlist in Starfleet but its way too early to decide yet."

Their food arrived then and they ate in companionable silence. After they were done, they went for a short walk where Nirri showed Ryu the best sellers that wouldn't try to rip him off for any essential items he might need. As they walked, Ryu observed, "You don't act like any Falleen I've ever met before, though admittedly, I haven't met that many."

Nirri said, "Falleen are usually very reserved and we never display our emotions openly if we can help it, but since I wasn't raised in the feudal system that is Falleen society, I tend to just keep quiet. I don't usually talk so much with someone I've only met, but for some reason, I'm comfortable talking with you. I have to say, for a human, you're okay Ryu. Why are you being so nice to me? Are you using one of those 'Jedi mind tricks' on me or something?"

Ryu smiled and said, "Not at all Nirri and the proper name for what you describe is 'alter mind' not 'Jedi mind trick' and they only work on the weak minded or those who are seriously distracted, say if someone had a dislocated shoulder or something; and speaking for the majority of humans, not all unfortunately, but the majority of humans at any rate, I don't care if you're Falleen, Human, Yuzzum, Rodian or even Gungan, you're a sentient being and worthy of all the same basic courtesies and respect that I would like to be treated with. Have you been hearing otherwise?"

Nirri was silent a moment and said, "Lately there's been a really serious anti-human movement building in some of the neighboring sectors. They've been saying stuff like 'all humans are anti-alien bigots', 'humans will shake your hand and stab you with the other', 'humans are trash', junk like that."

Ryu asked, "Does this group have a name? Do you believe anything that they're saying?"

Nirri said, "I've heard a name here and there. I might be wrong but the name I've heard is H.A.T.E., an acronym for Humans Are the Enemy. While I've read a little history here and there and I know that the Empire was run by humans and they treated all nonhumans pretty badly except for the occasional exception like Thrawn, the Empire was before my time so I can only go with what the history says."

Ryu said, "Like I said, the majority of humans are pretty level-headed with regards to nonhumans, I have a cousin who used to be in Starfleet and she's told me all kinds of really neat things about the nonhumans that she's met, but unfortunately, there are still a few people, human _and_ nonhuman both who are blind enough and dumb enough to believe that a person's worth is measured by the color of their skin, the color of their blood or if they breath oxygen or not."

Nirri's attention perked up when Ryu mentioned his cousin to her. Nirri said, "You have a cousin that was in Starfleet? Why'd she leave? If you don't mind my asking that is."

Ryu smiled again and said, "I don't mind at all Nirri. I first met my cousin, Michelle is her name, I first met Michelle about four years ago, give or take a month when the Rift reopened and a friend of mine, another Jedi Master, named Armis Rau and I went through it in the hopes of entering into a Treaty with the Federation. One of the ships that came to meet us was named the Titan and on it was a senior enlisted person, my cousin, who didn't know she was Force Sensitive. That's what we call people who can use the Force or be taught to use it. The Force brought her and me together and when she was offered the chance to train as a Jedi, she made the choice to leave Starfleet to pursue it; and since you mentioned it, I'd like to talk to you about choices. Starfleet could be a good one but you have one other choice to think about."

"What's that?" Nirri asked.

Ryu answered, "There was a reason that you and I met today. A reason that made you grab my bag and try and sell it back to me instead of running for the nearest pawn shop and getting however many credits you could for it."

Nirri asked, "And that is?"

Ryu said, "The reason is the Force. _You_ are Force Sensitive Nirri and if you want to come with me back to the Jedi Temple when my reason for coming here to the Demon's Battle Cave is done, then you can. You won't have to wait for your legal majority unless you want to. Don't give me an answer right now. Just think about it and give me your answer when you're ready."

Nirri remained silent until their walk had taken them back to Ryu's hostel. Before he went in, she said to him, "I might never be ready, you know that don't you?"

Ryu nodded and said, "I know. If you don't give me an answer before I leave, that's all right. I'll leave my com-address with you and you can call me whenever you want, day, night, next sevenday, next month, next year or not at all. If you decide to embrace your gift, that's what the Force is, a gift, then I'll come and get you myself. If I'm offworld at the time, someone in my family will come and get you. My wife, son, daughter or even my cousin; it will be for _you_ to decide. For now, think on it. Pay special attention to any dreams you might have for this sevenday. The Force sometimes speaks to us from there."

Handing Nirri the other half of her first day's wage and leaving her at the door to the hostel, Ryu went inside to meditate and then go to bed early. His first fight would be upon him all too soon.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Picard was released from Sickbay two days after his initial interview with Shazi and Michelle. Feeling more than a little stir-crazy left him short-tempered but Doctor Cruz was adamant about his observations to build the performance profile on Bacta therapy for Starfleet Medical and as Chief Medical Officer on the Titan, his word was essentially law. The third day after first speaking with the Jedi Master, found Picard in one of the conference rooms aboard the Titan to go over the preliminary results of former Chief-turned-Jedi Padawan Karú's investigation. It had been decided early on that Picard would stay aboard the Titan for the time being to prevent another attempt on his life.

Barely a handful of seconds passed after his arrival when Padawan Karú arrived with Master Dree-Jayks and Commander Kim, the Titan's First Officer. Greetings were exchanged all around as everyone took a seat around the conference table.

Harry said, "Admiral, the report from the Starfleet Forensic team that examined your office in the Consulate just came in this morning and the Captain asked me to present it to you as soon as you got out of Sickbay. They found something which helps explain how your attackers knew when and where to find you."

Picard's eyes widened perceptibly at this tidbit, "Do tell. My office, like all Ambassadors' Offices was supposed to be checked for spy devices every day. How did one get past the daily screening?"

Harry said, "The Forensic team found a sound activated listening device attached to the corner of your window. Since the screenings are performed by internal sensors from the Operations room in the Consulate, there is no organic presence in the room that would foul up the readings. The device in question was inactive and remains so until someone is in the room that is being spied upon and speaks. The acoustic energy of the speaker's voice turns the device from 'passive' to 'active'."

Picard took up the thread of evidence and said, "Since there is no power source emission or wireless power signals to intercept, it's like the listening device isn't even there. Elegant in its simplicity, wouldn't you say Commander?"

Harry nodded, "Yes sir, it is. It brings to mind something that I said to Captain Riker just as we got ready to use the hyperspace engines on the Titan the first time, prior to crossing through the Rift, 'What's old is new again.' The sound conduction is almost identical to the 'sound powered telephones' that the oceangoing surface navies back on Earth used to use throughout their ships as a means of secondary communication. Even if there was a total power failure on the ship, the sound powered telephone would operate on the energy of the user's voice."

Picard asked, "Was the Forensic team able to trace the signal when it was operating?"

Shaznia spoke then, "I can answer that, but before I do, please go over for me what you remember of the attack."

Picard nodded and spoke, "My driver Elib, had met me at the vehicle bay after I called for him. I was very pleased. My workload that day had been light and I was looking forward to seeing Will and Deanna that night over dinner. Elib told me the traffic patterns weren't that heavy at the moment and that our arrival time to the Residence would be sooner. He mentioned to me that his children had asked him to ask me about Starfleet Academy. I told him that if his children were willing to put forth the effort, when the time came, I would personally endorse their applications. We were moving along but my attention was on the PADD I had with me. I was going over some notes that I'd made when Elib said something about his sensor panel going out. A few seconds after he said that, I heard the canopy of the speeder being pierced and Elib fell over onto the passenger side. I tossed the PADD aside, checked Elib for a pulse and started to reach for the throttle control. As I reached for it, my uniform sleeve opened up and my arm felt like it was on fire. I couldn't use my left arm, or so it felt like so I reached with my right and another hole opened up over my right bicep. I managed to reach the throttle lever and ease it back when I felt three more impacts from behind. The next thing I remember after that was waking up in Sickbay a few minutes before you and Padawan Karú came in with Captain Riker."

Shaznia said, "I already spoke with Deanna and that follows pretty closely to what her Farsight vision indicated. Captain Riker was able to have ships' resources diverted to boost the Transporter signal to be able to get a lock on you and your speeder and bring both to the Titan. She was meditating in her quarters and saw you being attacked only moments before the actual attack occurred. Judging by her description of the blaster bolts that hit you and your own recollection, confirms the probable weapon used on you."

Picard said, "But I didn't see any blaster bolts when I was shot, just the aftermath."

Shaznia said, "That's because of the type of blaster bolt, more specifically, the type of blaster rifle that was used. The weapon in question is a specialist's weapon, usually reserved for use by snipers and _very _expensive to both purchase and maintain. It fires an _invisible_ bolt. Due to the nature of the bolt, each power cell is only good for 10 shots or so. As you'll see when we get to the computer re-creation as compiled from the onboard data, your speeder was fired on from several directions in a line roughly parallel to your direction of travel. What this tells us right away is that whoever paid for this attack has access to some _serious_ money to be able to furnish the same type of rifle to a group of attackers versus a single one."

Michelle took up the conversation at a look from Shaznia and started to manipulate the controls on her end of the table. The hologram pod above the table came to life and a computer simulation of the buildings came on. A triangle was used to represent the speeder. As the image moved, Michelle narrated, "Using the 'black box' data from the speeder, Engineer Rosim, Crewman Moro and I were able recreate the sequence of events. As well as telemetry, direction of travel, speed, weather conditions and latest automated traffic updates and the angle of the holes in the canopy left by the blaster bolts, this is what we came up with."

As the image played out, Michelle continued to narrate, "Your speeder was moving at a respectable 150 km/h and entered the express lane. Starfleet Security found a low power dampening field left in place that had been calibrated _specifically_ for your vehicle. During the actual inspection of the wreckage, crewman Moro found the transponder that the field was keyed to. This was no random strike of opportunity Admiral, whoever planned it was aiming for _you_ directly. If any other vehicles had passed through the field, their equipment might've flickered and the operators of those vehicles would probably have written it off as a maintenance issue. The bolts were fired on your vehicle from the buildings along your intended route two floors above the express lane. When Starfleet Security and the NRPOC raided each of those buildings, the respective floors were all empty except for the one room in each building that was used by each shooter. Evidence suggests that there were at least six shooters but no more than twelve. This accounts for the one shot that killed your driver, and the five shots that hit you. There were signs of use of a basic sleeping pad that can be bought from almost any merchant in any commerce sector where each shooter probably stayed the whole day just waiting for you to come by. There was no DNA evidence to speak of, no cast off epithelial or hair cells to be found which could indicate that either the site was cleaned up by a professional or the shooters don't have skin or hair cells to speak of. There was a cast-off power pack found which is how the specific weapon was identified. The pack was a dud, and was found in what is believed to be the seventh shooter's nest, but by the time your speeder got there, it was already in the process of being transported away. The shooter probably hoped to get off a kill shot but the pack shorted out and the weapon was unable to fire."

Picard said, "Elib's death was my fault entirely then."

Harry said, "No sir, that's not what anyone is saying . . ."

Picard's voice sound like the crack of a whip, "Save your breath Commander. It's my fault because I got complacent. I'd settled into my duties so well here that I forgot that Coruscant is _not_ a Federation world where assassinations, though not entirely unknown, are so few and far between that a person has to reference a history file to find more than one in the same decade. I got sloppy and lazy. Instead of changing routes randomly every few days, I let myself get into a pattern using the _same_ route _every_ time. I'll be lucky if Starfleet Command will let me resign before they cashier me for making the kind of mistake that even a newly commissioned diplomat wouldn't make. Please continue your investigation and inform me if you need another interview. I'll be in my temporary quarters drafting my letter of resignation. Good day."

Before anyone else could speak, Picard left the table and walked out of the conference room doors.

Sometime later, Beverly entered the guest quarters that she and Picard had been assigned. She saw him at the desk absorbed in whatever it was that he was working on. Intentionally she stepped behind him and read out loud over his shoulder, "With deepest regrets I must tender my resignation as both Ambassador At Large to the New Republic and Starfleet Command . . ." Heaving a sigh she went to sit down on the edge of the desk so that she could look into her husband's eyes. "So . . . you're actually going to resign?"

Picard wouldn't meet his wife's gaze at first as he said, "Yes, I am. It's clear to me that I have lost my objectivity. I got Elib killed, almost killed myself and nearly left you a widow for the second time. Clearly, I've become a liability. Resignation is the only honorable course of action left me."

Beverly said, "Would you listen to yourself? Did you think of the plan to try and assassinate you? Did you buy the equipment? Procure the group of attackers? Pull the trigger? One of the many things I love about you Jean-Luc is your overwhelming concern for everyone who is, or ever has been, under your command. It's also one of the things I loath about you as well."

Picard suddenly met Beverly's eyes and started to splutter a rationale when Beverly continued, "Let me finish Jean-Luc. I love that quality, among many others, because it shows that you were truly destined to command. Whether it's a starship or a diplomatic mission, your compassion for others defines you. You could be an 'armchair' officer who stays away from the front lines, delegates his authority and either siphons the credit for himself or finds some way to shift the blame if it goes wrong, but you don't. You accept that your place may be in the front or in the rear, depending on the circumstances, delegate your authority as needed but never takes the credit and you _do_ take the blame when it goes wrong, sometimes too much of the blame, just as a good leader should. _Perhaps_ you did allow yourself to become comfortable but that only shows that you have finally found your place in the scheme of things. You _do_ realize that this assignment it the longest you've every stayed in one place? Before you try the 'I commanded the Enterprise D for seven years' angle with me, remember, that was a starship; a noble ship to be sure, and a credit to the Enterprise lineage but it _moved_ constantly from sector to sector, quadrant to quadrant, assignment to assignment. The view out of your ready room or cabin windows changed almost every day. But _this_ assignment, as the Ambassador at Large which you've held for four years now, give or take a month, marks the longest you've ever been in _one_ place. Over the years, I've heard you complain about how much time the Enterprise D and E respectively, spent in space dock for routine system upgrades, refits or repairs, rare though that last item was. Those things were usually taken care of in two to four weeks time, and you would complain to me over our morning breakfasts about how long it was taking. You've held this assignment for _four_ years and I have yet to hear you even mumble about 'too much time'. That being said, yes, it is unfortunate that Elib died but there was _no_ way you could know that might happen. Has the Consulate been bombarded with threats? Have there been any open protests about 'Starfleet go home' or anything, anything at all to make you believe even for one second, that there was a genuine threat to you specifically or to the Consulate in general?"

Picard had listened to everything his wife said and the irrefutable logic could not be denied. Almost grudgingly he said, "No to all of the above. I guess I'm still acclimated to having a specific adversary instead of this shadow group trying to kill me or at the very least discredit me and destroy all that I've worked for. How did you become so wise and how by all that is good, did I manage to be married to you?"

With a grin she answered, "I wouldn't go so far as to call it wisdom as much as having to make a rational argument with a son who is very nearly a 'super genius'. Wesley was already weaving verbal rings around me by the time he was 8 or 9 and the whole 'Do it because I'm your Mother' tactic had already started to lose its effectiveness. As to how you ended up married to me, only the Force knows and it's not telling. How about you delete that letter of resignation and we go for a walk through the Arboretum before we meet Will and Deanna for dinner like we planned to originally before all of this conspiracy dreck got started?"

Pushing away from the desk and standing up, Picard said, "Computer, delete Picard resignation file zero-zero-zero."

After the computer replied, "Working . . . complete; any further tasking?"

Picard said, "Not at this time, thank you." Kissing his wife soundly, he extended his arm towards her and said, "Make it so."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

**Demon's Battle Cave, Day One**

Ryu woke up at 0800 sharp, ate a light breakfast and then performed a light warm-up routine to stretch out and ready himself for his first fight. Nirri arrived at 0930 to meet with him. When he opened his door, Nirri stood there in the hallway wearing a new set of clothes that had clearly been purchased only recently, her face had been scrubbed clean and the barest touch of cosmetics applied, her hair framed her gray-green face in a naturally occurring wavy pattern and fairly shone in the hallway light. Shouldering his bag and closing the door behind him, the two walked out to the street and started toward the Demon's Battle Cave. Ryu said, "You look better now than yesterday Nirri; new clothes and everything."

She answered, "It cost me all of the wage you paid me yesterday and a chunk of the stake I'm saving to get out of this place when it's time, for the new clothes and a good cleansing bath but I can't go around looking like a rancor chewed me up and spat me out and expect people to take my fighter seriously can I?"

Ryu smiled, "Since when did you become my manager and me your fighter?"

Nirri smiled this time and said, "Since I checked the data stream last night after I left you at the hostel. There have been no less than 100 hits on your GFC fighter's profile and more than 200 requests for all other available data on you. The word is out all over the sector that you're fighting again. The arena will be at or near capacity and there will be several cantinas that will carry the fights live over the holonet. No one cares why you're fighting, just that you are. I figure this could be the break I need to get the money I need to get out of this sector and somewhere else, so that's why I've also placed some bets on you under a pseudo name. The Demon's Battle Cave may not be GFC caliber but the odds-makers still frown on anything that may even hint at inside information."

Ryu said, "I should be disappointed in you Nirri but somehow, I'm not. Like I told my cousin Michelle once, altruism aside, the galaxy in general and Coruscant specifically runs on money. We all do what we have to, to survive and you're no different than anyone else in that regard. I hope I don't let you down 'Manager'."

Ryu and Nirri arrived at the main entrance to the Cave. Already there was a line, a long one, of people large and small of several different species, waiting to enter the seating area. Acks the Gran, was at the door supervising the weapons checkpoint when he saw Ryu and Nirri approach. He called out for their attention and said to them as they got to the front, "Greetings Master Jayks. Go right in and enter the arena area itself, but only fighters are allowed entry, your servant will have to wait out here."

Ryu said, "Nirri is not my servant. She is however, my Manager and deserves to be in my corner to perform her duties."

Acks mumbled something in his native tongue and said, "Since this is the largest crowd I've seen here at the Cave in while, I guess I can let your 'manager' through as a show of thanks for all the money we'll make today," and waved them both through.

Ryu and Nirri entered and went to the platform where the fight would take place. The stands were filling up rapidly and just as Nirri had predicted, it looked like it would be at capacity or even a little more.

Ryu said, "I can't believe that there are this many people to see me come out of retirement, required though it is. Do you know anything Nirri?"

She pulled her rebuilt PADD out of a utility pouch on her hip and scrolled through the data stream for a few seconds. "I can't find anything specific, just a notation of 'something special' for your fights. Do you think Xoran is trying to fix the fight or something?"

Ryu nodded, "I have no doubt. It won't be obvious and it won't be pleasant whatever it is."

Checking his gi to ensure that it was properly tied, Ryu left his bag with Nirri and stepped onto the platform, put on his shock gear and did a few simple stretches, deep breaths and focus exercises. Reaching to the Force one last time to prepare, Ryu found it hard to reach for some reason. At that time, the golden spectator's box descended on its repulsorlifts and settled at the edge of the platform. Xoran stepped out of the box and onto the platform dressed in even fancier clothes than the day before. Touching his jawbone with a professionally manicured fingernail and then waving his hands for attention, Xoran said over the amplifier he just activated, "Ladies, gentlemen and sentients of all other genders, welcome to the Demon's Battle Cave. I am Xoran and I'll be your host. For your enjoyment and your betting, the first day of this tournament starts with sixteen fights. From those sixteen, eight fighters will emerge. On day two, those eight will become four. Day three brings that number to two and on day four; the finalist will have the option of fighting me for the ownership of the Demon's Battle Cave or going home with a percentage of all house bets made throughout this event."

The spectators roared and howled their applause. Xoran let the applause build to a crescendo and then motioned for attention again. When he had it, he said, "Today's first fight brings to us a distinguished fighter from the GFC. Retired after winning the title of 'Galaxy's Strongest' many years ago, this man went on to open a school in the martial art of Teräs Käsi. This ancient fighting technique, said to have been developed so that one who is _not_ gifted in the power of the Force, can fight one that _is_ in hand to hand combat and at least come to a draw. This man, himself a Jedi Knight for many years and only recently promoted to the rank of Jedi Master has come to us to avenge an attack on his offspring."

Throughout the tiers of seating, cheers, boos, hisses and other assorted noises of approval or disapproval were loud. Ryu didn't even bother trying to correct the misinformation since he knew that no one would believe him, stayed silent and only made some last minute adjustments to his shock gear after putting in his protective mouthpiece.

After letting the crowd noise subside on its own, Xoran spoke again, "His opponent originally hails from the planet Ando, and is a member of the Quara, or fingered Aqualish genetic line. He comes to us after a string of recent victories in other, smaller venues than that of the Demon's Battle Cave. His record now stands at 10-3-0, please welcome to the Cave, Gondo Krel!"

Again the crowd sounded loudly for over a minute as Ryu's opponent entered the arena and stepped up onto the platform before Xoran spoke again. "As you all know, there are only three ways to win in the Demon's Battle Cave. The first is to knockout the opponent. This is the one that we see the most here in the Cave. The second method of victory is to make the opponent submit by way of tapout, or by literally throwing in a towel. Fortunately for you in the audience, submissions of that nature are not often seen. The third and final method of victory is for the opponent to be thrown off of the platform. This one is rarely seen as well but when it does, it's usually accompanied by a knockout and you in the audience just love that one."

The audience declared their agreement by roaring even louder than before.

Xoran spoke again, "Perhaps you wonder how another fighter, even one of the Aqualish, a species we know to be in or near a state of rage almost constantly could possibly fight against a Jedi Master in hand to hand combat?"

Again, the crowd roared loudly.

Xoran said, "This is where I finally get to tell you all how this will be possible, but better still than simply telling you, I'll show you and then give a brief explanation."

Raising one wrist, Xoran entered a command sequence on the wrist controller on his arm. Seconds later, the doors above the arena opened silently. From above, a lattice-work of pipes and assorted tubing was lowered into the arena on a single support column. The moment the lattice work frame was completely visible, Ryu lost all touch with the Force. Suddenly and without warning; Ryu staggered as his senses were suddenly truncated. Feeling as though he was trying to see and hear through thick, viscous mud left him disorientated for a moment.

The creature within the frame, seemingly attached to a smaller version of the larger frame, was an Ysalamiri.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

**Jedi Temple, Main Council Chambers**

Shazi was giving a report on the preliminary findings of the Starfleet investigation when her mental link through the Force with her husband suddenly stopped. Caught completely by surprise, she fell to her knees clutching the sides of her head. "Rrrrryyyyuuuuuuuuuu!" she screamed before she collapsed in a heap on the polished marble floor.

Luke was the first one to her side. Assisting her, Luke helped her sit up, her eyes staring up through Luke's face, at the ceiling, tears suddenly filling her eyes as she said, "He's gone . . . Ryu's gone. I can't sense him in the Force any longer! Oh please, please don't let him be dead! Why can't I feel him? Why? Why?"

**General Purpose Training Room, Jedi Temple**

Gabrielle Jayks was sparring with her Jedi Master, Mara Jade-Skywalker, lightsaber to lightsaber and barely holding her own when suddenly her awareness of her father ceased. Dropping her lightsaber, the one originally held by her Grandmother and namesake Gabrielle Shase-Jayks, the amethyst purple blade extinguished the moment it left her hand and Gabrielle fell to her knees crying out, "Father! I can't sense by Father in the Force anymore! Where is he? Where?"

Only Mara's finely honed skill with the lightsaber enabled her to stop her blade short of cutting her Padawan in two from crown to ground. Extinguishing her blade, she set it aside, went to her own knees to embrace her student tightly in her arms. Mara knew that the only way a filial bond in the Force could be cut so suddenly was by death but she didn't say it out loud, already determined to suspend judgment until she saw a body or heard a first hand account of Ryu's body disappearing where he fell. She felt Gabrielle's sobs against her shoulder and said, "Shhhh, shhhhh, it's alright. We'll find out for sure what happened. Strange things can happen in this universe of ours. I'm sure it'll be alright and if for any reason and I mean _any_ reason it isn't, we will find whoever is responsible and they will learn what it means to irritate a former Emperor's Hand."

Gabrielle could only cry and mumble, "Daddy . . . where's my daddy?"

**Somewhere in Hyperspace**

Kenod Jayks was meditating in his cabin when the awareness of his father stopped. The shock of the stoppage snapped Kenod out of his meditation harshly. To himself he thought, '_Why can't I sense my Father's awareness in the Force? What has happened? He can't be dead, can he? I've got to find out . . . I've got to!'_

**U.S.S. Titan, Main Cargo Bay**

Jedi Padawan Michelle Karú was working with Rosim and Moro on a more detailed examination of the wreckage of Admiral Picard's speeder when she suddenly stood up straight from the console she was working at. Rosim and Moro were both startled and jumped at the sudden movement.

She was already half way across the cargo bay on her way to the doors when Rosim called out, "What's wrong Michelle? Where are you going?" She answered, "I feel as though something terrible has happened. I must go."

Rosim looked at Moro and he at him, neither one having any clue what just happened.

**Demon's Battle Cave, First Fight**

Ryu recovered just as Nirri said, "What is it Ryu? What just happened? You look like you just got slapped by a Wampa or something. What's going on?"

He answered, "You see the creature in that frame just above the platform? That's an Ysalamiri."

She asked, "What's an Ysalamiri? I've never heard of one till now."

Ryu said, "It's a sloth-like creature native to the planet Myrkr. They live in the trees their whole lives, their claws actually growing into the tree to draw nutrients. If you know how, you can remove them and put them on a life support frame like the one over the platform. They have the naturally occurring ability to push back the Force; it's how they survive on Myrkr."

Nirri said, "You mean that you can't feel the Force right now? That you're like a normal person now?"

He answered, "Yes and yes Nirri. This is going to be a lot harder than I thought."

"You mean you're still going to fight? Are you insane?" She asked.

"Yes and no, Nirri." He answered.

While Ryu had been speaking to Nirri, Xoran had continued speaking, "For those of you who may not know what the delightful creature in the frame is, that my friends, is what is known as an Ysalamiri. Indigenous to a rather unremarkable world in the Inner Rim called Myrkr. Unremarkable that is, but for these little creatures. You see friends; just one Ysalamiri can generate a bubble that actually _pushes_ back the Force for up to ten meters. This means that for all intents and purposes, the Force has ceased to exist. Imagine if you will, an _entire_ planet full of these little beauties, and you can imagine why the Emperor himself was afraid to go there; why the very possession of just one of these creatures without more permits than you can shake a Stokhli Spray Stick at is so illegal that your great grand offspring would still be waiting for you to get out of prison. Fortunately here in the Demon's Battle Cave, there are no such limitations. This, my friends is how to bring a Jedi Master down to the level of normal people!"

Ryu didn't believe it possible until he heard it just then, but the crowd got even louder.

Gondo Krel had been performing his own warm-ups while Xoran had been speaking. Walking to the center of the platform, he motioned to Ryu with a hand gesture that was universally known to fighters everywhere. Ryu stepped up to the center as well and took a neutral fighting stance, weight balanced equally on the balls of his feet and waited.

Xoran turned off his amplifier a moment and whispered to Ryu, "As I told you yesterday Master Jedi, I control _everything_ here."

Turning his amplifier on again, Xoran said, "It appears as though our guest fighter will compete after all. That is truly an example of the fighting spirit that everyone knows and loves here in the Demon's Battle Cave; so without further to-do, let the fight begin!"

Mentally, Ryu reviewed everything he knew about Aqualish and knew that without the Force as his ally, he would have to take the fight to his opponent most of the time. As Xoran returned to his box and the box rose on its repulsors, Xoran's called out over the speakers, "FIGHT!"

Ryu led off with a left front jab to the center of Krel's face followed by a right punch to the Aqualish equivalent of a sternum and finished with a left ridge hand to the side of Krel's head. Ryu felt the slight shock discharge from his gloves at each impact. Krel felt each hit and the shock as well and stepped back a pace and then countered with a strong right punch to Ryu's chest that caught him full on and set him back a quarter of a meter. Ryu involuntarily gasped for breath as the shock from Krel's glove forced the air out of him.

Ryu thought to himself, '_That was stupid Ryu. Remember that the Force has left you and you must fight without it. Focus on the physical telltales that a body makes in a fight and flow within the moment!'_

Ryu seemed almost to glide across the surface of the platform as he performed two spinning heel kicks in quick succession. The first kick was out of range by only a slim margin, the second was ducked by Krel when Ryu continued to spin as if he would do a third kick but instead of going high, he crouched down on his support leg like a top and caught his opponent with a leg sweep instead. Krel went down to the mat from the impact on his ankles imparted from Ryu's foot. In mid-fall, he turned onto his back and broke his fall by keeping his head up and slapping the platform with both hands and taking the impact of the fall across the entire surface of his back and arms to dissipate the energy. Before he could get back to his feet though, Ryu braced both of his hands on the platform, raised one foot into the air and delivered a heel-drop into Krel's abdomen. After the hit, Ryu did a reverse roll away and recovered to his feet and resumed his fighting stance.

Everywhere in their seats, fans roared their response to the fight so far. The very floor seemed to reverberate with the cheers, jeers and overall energy of the crowd.

Krel got back to his feet and warily moved in towards Ryu. Again deciding to take the fight to Krel once more, Ryu moved in and delivered two short round kicks to Krel's leading leg right on the thigh. The shock numbed the leg and as is started to give, Ryu swung the foot that had made the round kicks into a high outside crescent kick that hit Krel directly in the side of the head. Krel went down, tried to get up but his arms quivered underneath him and he fell face first onto the platform.

Ryu could tell that Gondo Krel was done and stepped away from his prone body. The crowd roared and cheered even louder with the victory than they did at the introduction. Xoran's voice sounded over the crowd noise, "And the winner of the first fight is Ryu Jayks! Truly though, was there much doubt of the outcome? Even without the Force, our guest fighter is still a man to be reckoned with! While the clean-up staff takes care of poor Gondo, feel free to get refreshment compatible with your biochemistry and be sure to visit the betting cages. Our next fight will start in only a few standard timeparts!"

As Ryu stepped off the platform and stripped off his gear, Acks stepped up to him and handed him a comlink. Accepting it, Ryu turned it on and without having to ask, knew who it would be. "What do you want Xoran?"

Xoran's voice said, "Very good Master Jedi. I am impressed even though you clearly have lost your touch somewhat if an Aqualish could lay a finger on you let alone a full strike."

Ryu said, "Come to the point please. As soon as I leave the Ysalamiri's sphere of influence I'll be back to normal and you know it. I will admit that your cunning is well deserved Xoran. To get an Ysalamiri, especially when they're considered high contraband, was a tactic that I had not anticipated."

The smile could practically be heard over the comlink, "High praise indeed from you Master Jedi. But lest you think that it will be so easy, you will not be permitted to leave the Cave until both of your fights are done for today. If this first days' fights continue as I expect them to, you're next bout will be at about 1230 hours or so. Follow Acks to the fighter's rest area and before you plan on going into a Healing Trance, you should know that I have more than one Ysalamiri. There will be one along the corridor to the Rest Area, and another _in_ the Rest Area. Their bubbles will overlap and you will have to go through the day like any other person."

The comlink call ended, and Ryu handed it back to Acks. By this time, Nirri reentered the arena with Ryu's bag in hand and a huge smile on her face. Following along with Ryu and Acks she remained silent until they were in the Fighter's Rest Area and Acks had left. She said in an almost jubilant tone, "That was great Ryu! On that first fight alone I just made back everything I spent to get this outfit I'm wearing, the bath _and_ the wage you paid me yesterday and even a little extra! Whoohoo! This keeps up and I'll be able to leave this fracking sector by the end of this tournament!"

Ryu sat down stiffly on a padded bench that was low to the floor. With sarcasm thick in his voice he said, "I'm _so_ happy that you got your money back Nirri but keep in mind this is my body that's going to take the damage."

As Ryu fished in his bag for an item, Nirri said, "What are you worried about? Even without the Force, you cleaned Gondo's chronometer!"

Finding his first aid kit, he opened it and taking a small round cylinder out of it, adjusted some controls, looked around to make sure no one was watching anything but the monitor that was showing the next fight and ran it over his chest quickly and efficiently. When he was done, he put the cylinder back in the kit and said, "I'd like to say I got lucky Nirri but luck won't be much of a factor for me while I'm here."

Nirri said, "What's that you're doing Ryu? Something wrong?"

Ryu only motioned her to look into his bag at the Medical Tricorder that had been set to silent operation. Whispering to her he said, "Keep your voice down Nirri. You know what this device is?" When she nodded yes, Ryu continued, "As you can see from the display, I didn't get away completely unscathed. According to this, I've got some deep tissue bruising in my chest and a slightly bruised sternum. That was from _one_ hit Nirri. You have to remember, even though I'm a fully trained Jedi, I'm still only human and I have the same general strengths and weaknesses that any other human has. Most nonhumans are, on average, twice as strong as a human. If I could still touch the Force, I could absorb just about anything that can be thrown at me and put myself into a Healing Trance later."

Nirri said, "We've got a couple of hours until your next bout. So put yourself into this trance-thing you mentioned and we'll call it good."

Shaking his head, Ryu said, "Did you forget about the Ysalamiri? When you came back from collecting your winnings, I had just finished a comlink conversation with Xoran. He told me that he has at least _three_ Ysalamiri. Look around Nirri and you'll find it. So long as I'm in the sphere of influence generated by those creatures, I am _unable_ to touch the Force and heal myself."

Doing as she was told, Nirri looked around and found the nutrient support frame attached to the ceiling of the rest area. She said, "That's not fair!"

Ryu chuckled mirthlessly, "Fair Nirri? Fair doesn't enter into the Demon's Battle Cave and stay fair for long. The best I can hope for is some medicated ointment to help break up the blood clotting that makes a bruise appear as it does and take a short nap. When I get back to the hostel later, I'll be far enough away from those Ysalamiri and I can use a Heal Trance overnight. I think that's what Xoran was counting on."

Applying some of the ointment that he spoke of, Ryu said, "Wake me in an hour Nirri and while I'm sleeping make sure that the fights between now and then are recorded so I can review them while I warm back up and get ready for my next fight."

Nodding her head in understanding of her directions, Nirri went to do as she had been told while Ryu stretched out on the bench he had been sitting on after putting away his aid kit, retying his bag and putting it under his head as a pillow.

One hour later exactly, Nirri woke Ryu up. Sitting up, he arched his back gently and stretched his arms and chest. Nirri asked, "How do you feel now?"

Ryu answered, "Like I got caught in a turbolift door as it closed but okay otherwise."

Handing him a protein bar and some water she said, "I got those recordings like you wanted. Of the three fights since yours, none of them lasted much longer than yours although one fellow was taken out on a stretcher with a broken leg and a Devaronian male lost one horn in his fight. There'll probably be two more fights before your next one if they go the same length as yours, and one or two after."

Finishing the bar and the water, Ryu said, "Thanks. Let's look at those recordings. I'll be facing some of the winners sooner or later."

Nirri looked pensive a moment then said in a low voice, "You're still going to fight?"

Ryu said, "I _have_ to Nirri. Over dinner later, I'll tell you why so that you can decide if you want to stay on as you are or cut me loose."

Ryu looked over the recordings of the previous fights, looking for patterns, strengths, weaknesses and any other clues that might help him in his future fights. The winners of the three bouts were a Chiss, a Barabel, the one that had attempted to attack Kenod and a Blood Carver of all things. Ryu reviewed what he knew of the three species. Even after all the time that had passed since the peace treaty between the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant, there was still not a lot known about the Chiss. Ryu remembered the one Chiss he had met, Commander Mythril, aboard the Redemption. He remembered the passive Force scan he had performed upon meeting Mythril and catalogued the sense he got of the clarity of thought and the calm, cool analytical abilities that Mythril had demonstrated. The Barabel was the one that had broken his opponent's leg. It was a vicious, but efficient way to end their fight. Ryu remembered back to his own extended studies in the rebuilt Temple and remembered what he had read about an incident in the Barabel's distant past that had been mediated by the Jedi of the time. As a result, the Barabel people in general hold Jedi in great respect which made him wonder even more at just how or why a Barabel would attack a Jedi like this one had in attempting to hurt Ryu's son. The Blood Carver was only slightly less mysterious than the Chiss and Ryu figured he was probably an apprentice assassin who had entered the tournament to gain experience in varied fighting styles. All too soon it seemed, Ryu was back in the arena and stepping up to the platform after putting his fighting gear back on. His opponent this time was a different Devaronian than the one who'd had his horn broken in an earlier fight. This one still had both of his horns. Facing across from his opponent, Ryu waited for the command to fight.

Xoran's voice sounded, "Fresh from his victory just this morning, our guest fighter Ryu Jayks returns to the platform for his final bout of the day. To review, Ryu Jayks defeated Gondo Krel by way of knockout but only after practically eating a punch to his chest. That HAD to hurt as surely as trying to stop a landspeeder by stepping in front of it!"

The crowd laughed and cheered at the comment.

Xoran continued with, "Ryu Jayks's next opponent comes to us from the latest preliminary qualifying rounds for the GFC, where he finished in the top five and will, if he so chooses, be eligible to compete as an alternate fighter. His fighting style is unique among systems in that it can be so deceptive that it is routinely underestimated in its effectiveness. His record, a respectable 12-2-2, please welcome to the Demon's Battle Cave, Velish Cor!"

The Devaronian stepped up onto the platform and waved at the crowd for a few moments before performing a standing back flip and then focusing on Ryu. Xoran's voice sounded again, "FIGHT!"

Ryu went into his fighting stance, weight balanced on the balls of both feet, one hand high, near his face, the other low at his waist, hands loose, not clenched. His opponent bowed and then started to perform a U-shaped step repeatedly, slowly edging towards Ryu on the platform. Ryu said to himself, _'Something familiar about that step he's using . . . something deceptive about it, but what?'_

The two fighters circled each other warily, neither one quite ready to commit to an attack at first.

As Ryu watched Velish, waiting for the physical tell that would indicate what might happen next, he thought he saw a flicker of light out of the corner of his eye but didn't know what to make of it. Velish's U-shape step continued for a heartbeat longer then he moved and seemed to slide in across the platform as he delivered a high round kick from down low as his weight shifted from one foot to the other. Ryu thought he saw the flicker of light again before the kick flew at his face. Bringing his right arm up to cover his face, Ryu was almost too late. The kick connected mostly on his arm but the toes on the kicking foot slid into the crook of Ryu's elbow and still impacted, with only slightly less energy, squarely on Ryu's cheekbone. Ryu saw a flash of light and a high pitched whine at the moment of impact from the shock gear on Cor's foot and felt himself corkscrew through the air and land just over a meter from where he had stood. Rolling over on his back, Ryu saw Velish's foot come down towards his face, slightly behind a short ray of multicolored light. Rolling out of the way, he heard Velish's heel connect with the platform where only moments before, Ryu's face had been, and got back to his feet.

At that moment, Ryu understood Velish Cor's fighting style. He said to himself, '_Koola Korsi! I knew that U-shaped step was familiar! One of the first things I did once the Federation database became available was to satisfy my curiosity on some of its fighting styles. One, a form that originated on the Federation homeworld, on one of the continents, was a system called Capoeira. A fighting system hidden in a dance, usually performed to music. Velish is probably getting a subharmonic feed over his horns of the music that Koola Korsi uses to help him maintain his rhythm.'_

Ryu resumed his fighting stance and readied himself for the next attack which was not long in coming.

Velish fired off another low kick, this time from the opposite foot of the one that had hit Ryu before. Ryu saw the light track again, _'What is that track of light? It precedes his attack and follows through. Is that his intention? How is that possible? The Force is denied me because of the Ysalamiri, yet somehow, I'm still seeing it.'_

The kick followed the track of light and Ryu ducked under it only to be hit by a spinning back knuckle as Velish recovered from his kick. Again, Ryu was only just barely aware of the light track and rolled with the hit and thus lessening its impact considerably. Answering Velish's attack with one of his own, Ryu felt his attack connect and felt the shock transfer from his glove to Velish's face. To his credit, Velish recovered quickly but in his eyes, one could tell that he knew he was in for a fight now. Velish fired a standing round kick to Ryu's face but Ryu saw the light track clearly now, caught the kick at Velish's shin with an open palm before the kick could get up to speed and swept Velish's supporting leg out from under him. Before Ryu could put an ankle lock in place, Velish pushed him away with a front thrust kick to his abdomen. Since Velish was on the ground facing up, the kick lacked any real power to do damage but it did force Ryu to let the leg go and be pushed away.

As Velish did a reverse roll to get back to his feet, Ryu had an epiphany, '_It's the Ki that I'm seeing! How could I possibly have forgotten one of my Father's teachings? It's just like he said all those years ago, 'When the Ki and the Force work synergistically, is when you will be at your strongest in anything you do. The Force is denied me yes, but not the Ki! The tracks of light are his intentions as seen through the Ki!'_

Velish started his U-shape step again but Ryu was ready this time. As Velish performed a one-hand stand and did a kick that reminded Ryu of an inverted 'J', he planted a solid front kick to Velish's exposed chest and sent him sliding across the platform slightly, close to the edge of the platform. Ryu closed the distance as Velish got back to his feet and was visibly winded for a moment. Ryu threw three punches to Cor's abdomen and finished the combination with a left hook that caught Velish across his jaw, he knew that Velish was done when he saw the nearly glazed look in his face as their eyes met. With no hesitation, Ryu brought his right hand low and fired it up, "Shoryuken!"

Though Ryu didn't have the Force to augment his rising punch, he still managed to spin completely in the air almost a half of a meter to land from almost the exact spot he leapt from. Velish was hit squarely under his jaw and the power of Ryu's short leap into the air propelled Velish off his feet and over the edge of the platform to land on the padded mats that surrounded the raised platform in case of something like an unconscious body landing on them.

Ryu recovered from his rising punch and walked across the platform back to the side that he had entered from as Xoran's voice came over the speakers, "There you have it! The winner by way of knockout and ringout is Ryu Jayks! Let's hear it for our guest fighter!"

The crowd roared ever louder and kept roaring as Ryu left the arena and went back to the fighter's rest area with Nirri in tow. After sitting on the bench where he had after his first fight, Ryu watched the monitor for the winners of the rest of the fights for day one. Nirri left for a time and came back even happier than after Ryu's first win.

"I won't bore you with the sundry details of how much I've won except to say, thanks Ryu." She said.

He looked at her and said, "Thanks for what? I could've lost that fight you know. Only a half-remembered lesson my father taught me early in my training saved my skin."

Nirri countered with, "Yea you could've lost, but you didn't; and the way you finished Velish Cor off with one of your signature moves even without the Force to power you up, only proves just how good of a fighter you still are! Now, how about you tell me the _real_ reason you came to the Demon's Battle Cave? I already figured out that it's not for the money since you haven't placed any bets on yourself, or anyone else for that matter and you aren't here to 'officially' come out of retirement or anything. If you did, you would've stayed on the platform for a few minutes and worked the crowd."

Ryu smiled and said, "Again, you show spirit and resourcefulness Nirri. Like I said earlier, I'll tell you later over dinner, away from this place. These walls have ears, I'm sure. Xoran knows why I'm here and you will too after we leave."

The last of the day's fights ended soon, and the next day's winners were advanced. The next day's fights would see Ryu, the Chiss, the Blood Carver, the Barabel, a Dressellian, a Gank and two Zabraks move onto the next level. As Ryu and Nirri left the Demon's Battle Cave to go back to the hostel, Ryu was suddenly aware of everything around him again. Like stepping out of a dark room into the light of day, Ryu was very much aware of the universe and his place in it. The Force was with him again. He was also aware of his injuries and of the pain that Shazi was in. Their link had been severed when the Ysalamiri had been put into place.

Looking around quickly, Ryu saw the signs pointing to a public communications hub. He said, "Slight change of plans Nirri. Go back to the hostel I'm staying at and wait for me in the Dining Area. I have a _very_ important call to make right now."

Quickening his pace, he got to the hub and found an empty booth. Closing the privacy screen behind him, Ryu dropped the appropriate denomination of credits into the pay box and entered his home number into the keypad.

**Jayks Residence**

Shaznia had barely walked in the door with her daughter and her daughter's Master close behind her when the comm. unit sounded. Still distraught over the loss of the link with her husband through the Force had left her more than a little numb so when she answered the comm. it was with a dull monotone, "Jayks Residence," she answered. The picture came up, flickered for a moment and then steadied to show her husband's face.

His voice sounded, "Shazi! Is everything all right? Is Gabrielle with you? I called the moment I felt your distress through our bond."

Shazi's face lit up like a hundred suns, "Ryu! By the Force! I was scared beyond any rational thought when I felt our bond sever! What happened to you? You look like you were slapped by a Wampa or something."

All Ryu said was one word, "Ysalamiri."

By this time, Gabrielle had come over to stand next to her mother and her face too brightened considerably. "Daddy!"

Ryu couldn't help but smile when his daughter spoke, "You haven't called me that since you were ten standard years old. Are you all right Dear Heart?"

Gabrielle said, "Now that I know you're still alive, I'm okay. Did you say Ysalamiri?"

Ryu answered, "I did. Xoran, the master of the Demon's Battle Cave has at least three of them. Naturally, he didn't tell me so I was caught as much by surprise as you and your mother must've been. Have you heard from Kenod?"

Shazi said, "Not yet but now that I'm sure he's felt your presence in the Force again, he might not, but if he does, I'll be sure to tell him that you're okay."

Mara walked into the image field and said, "Ysalamiri? I _really_ don't like those things; and you say that Xoran has at least three of them? I'll be sure to relay that information to Corran. I'm sure it will help us find the data-trail to whoever tried to assault Kenod and kill Picard. It takes _serious_ money and connections to get even one Ysalamiri off of Myrkr, let alone three of the little devils. Watch yourself Ryu."

Ryu said, "I will, thanks Mara."

Turning his attention back to his wife and daughter after Mara left the image field, he said, "I've made it past the first fights and I'm due back tomorrow. That means I'll have to go back into the Ysalamiri's sphere of influence when I do. I'm sorry that you both thought I might've died. I'll call back each day now that I know about the Ysalamiri. I love you both."

Shazi spoke, "And we love you. Please be careful Ryu."

He nodded, "I will. I'll call tomorrow after my fights are done with any new information. Right now, I have a name to go with the group that probably was behind the attack on our son and on Admiral Picard. It's a group that's calling itself H.A.T.E. or Humans Are the Enemy. Whether they directly acted or it was just a fringe group of fanatics acting under the name, I don't know. Even if H.A.T.E. acted directly, I would imagine that they've hidden their tracks by now. I'll be sure to send you anything more I learn as soon as I can. May the Force be with you both."

Gabrielled spoke this time, "And with you daddy."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Back at the hostel, Ryu had gone back to his room to shower and clean up the worst of the cut and bleeding skin on his face and apply some healing salve to his wounds. After putting on a clean gi, as that was the only other clothing he brought with him, he sat with Nirri while they waited for their respective meals to arrive.

"The reason I came here in the first place Nirri was to get information from Xoran. A short time ago, for whatever the reason, he and that Barabel we saw at the Cave, the one who broke his opponent's leg, both accompanied a Bothan to my home and attempted to assault my son. Either they didn't know that it was my home they were going to and/or didn't know that my son was a fully trained Jedi Knight. Anyway, their attempt failed and all three of them were arrested. Before I could question them, they had gotten lawyers and been released on some technicality or another. The Bothan died at the medical clinic he had been taken to after developing a heretofore unknown allergy to bacta and the other two, Xoran and the Barabel who was later identified simply as Barab, both disappeared back underground."

Nirri spoke, "I remember now something in the data stream about an attack on a 'high profile' citizen and then shortly thereafter the Ambassador to the New Republic from the Federation was almost assassinated. Are the two connected?"

Ryu answered, "My wife and I, immediately after our promotion to Master, were assigned by Luke Skywalker to liaison with Starfleet Security. We were beginning to think that the two incidents were connected and the information that you've given me since I arrived yesterday has reinforced that conclusion. What you told me about that anti-human group, the one that calls itself H.A.T.E, Xoran's lack of surprise when I showed up on his literal doorstep looking for information. As soon as you get the time, please put all of your observations and any notes you might've made on H.A.T.E, onto a datacard and give it to me so that I can in turn transmit it to my wife who'll make sure it gets to everyone who needs to know."

Nodding her head in understanding, Nirri asked, "Why does Xoran hate you so much? What did you ever do to him?"

"A long time ago, Xoran was an up and coming fighter in the GFC, the same as me. He tried to set up a pipeline to smuggle performance enhancers into the GFC and I helped set him up for a fall. After he was caught, he was banned from ever competing in the GFC again, stripped of all his accomplishments to that point and almost prosecuted but he dropped off the grid before he could go to court and that was almost the last I'd ever heard of him until another Jedi Master, Corran Horn, gave me the results of his preliminary investigation and Xoran's name and face came up. I've known for several years now that he was on Coruscant, running the Demon's Battle Cave but I honestly had no intention of ever talking to him again, let alone fighting him, but I guess he was given an opportunity to strike back at me and he took it, but even now, the Force is hinting that there's more to it than that. No offense intended Nirri, but Falleen are practically legendary for the way they can carry a grudge against anyone or anything that hinders their plans, whatever those plans may be; but I've never heard of one taking such a direct course as Xoran has. It's my understanding, and I may be wrong, but its my understanding the Falleen usually destroy their enemies by undermining them, by buying up their debts or holding majority share in whatever business ventures they may be involved with."

Nirri nodded and said, "No offense taken because you're not far off the mark Ryu. What will you do now?"

Ryu said, "First, I'm going to eat a big dinner so that my body has ample resources for the Healing Trance I'll go into tonight. Second, fight my way up the ladder and ask Xoran directly what he knows about H.A.T.E., about the attempted assassination on Admiral Picard and why he tried to hurt my son. The question that needs to be asked is what are you going to do Nirri? The longer you associate with me the more likely Xoran will hurt you somehow. Whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, you're vulnerable Nirri. You're innocent of anything but trying to survive and I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

Nirri smiled and said, "Thanks for the thought but I'll be okay Ryu. Besides, maybe it's the Force trying to tell me something too but I think there's more to your concern for me than collateral damage. Care to fill me in?"

Smirking, Ryu said, "Your insight serves you well. In our conversations to this point, you've told me that you sometimes have a 'compass' in your head that leads you to the things you need at that moment. Whether it was the prime location to build your shelter or to find the jobs you need to earn the money you need to survive, the Force _is_ speaking to you. At the risk of sounding like a nosy parent because I am a nosy parent, even though I'm not _your_ nosy parent, you are nearing a crossroads, where you will be tempted by the Dark Side of the Force. To prove my point, I'm going to have to say some things that may sound hurtful and tactless."

Nirri just said, "Bring it."

Ryu spoke, "When you reach adolescence, if you don't have a good teacher in the Force, it will be like a veritable floodgate of power in your head. This power though, will come to you when you are afraid or hurt or angry instead of when you are not afraid, unhurt and at peace with yourself and your surroundings. The only role model you had abandoned you to your own devices a relatively short time ago, other Falleen think you're worthless. You've already demonstrated your dislike of me dealing with the 'unfairness' of having to deal with the Ysalamiri. At the risk of sounding condescending, and I'm not trying to, for someone as intelligent as you clearly are Nirri, surely you have already come to understand that life itself is frequently unfair."

Though Nirri was completely aware of these things on an intellectual level, to hear it practically thrown in her face so bluntly left her mentally stunned for a moment; an involuntary tear could be seen in the corner of her eye. She was silent a moment then said, "Yes, life isn't fair at times. That doesn't mean that you can't _make_ it fair when you can."

Ryu said sadly, "That path leads to the Dark Side Nirri."

With a touch of pain-fueled rebellion in her voice, Nirri said, "What if it is? What's the worst thing that can happen?"

As Nirri spoke, her eating utensils had started to quiver on the table. Suddenly, the knife flew from its place on the table across the room and impaled itself deeply into the wall. There was a short screech as another guest of the hostel barely avoided the implement.

Nirri sat up straight in her seat, eyes wide as she saw what had just happened. The shock in her voice was clear, "Did I do that? What if I'd hit someone just now?"

Ryu spoke, "You've just made my point for me Nirri."

The owner of the hostel came up to their table clearly uncomfortable and said, "Master Jedi, please control your apprentice or I'll have to ask you both to leave."

Ryu took 100 credits out of his bag, handed it to the owner saying, "Please excuse my Padawan, she's still very new to her abilities and sometimes they get away from her. Please use this to cover the cost of the meal for the person over there and the accidental damage to your wall."

The owner accepted the money from Ryu's hand and said before walking away, "Very well Master Jedi. Apology accepted."

Nirri had recovered by this time and said, "You covered for me just now even though I'm not your student. Why?"

Ryu answered, "Like I said shortly after we met Nirri, no one should be treated as anything less than a sentient being regardless of their upbringing. If you'll remember when I spoke of choices the other day as well?" When Nirri nodded, Ryu continued, "You can choose to stay on as my manager and get the credits you need to leave this sector as well as the possible risk entailed with staying around me. You can then choose to join Starfleet when you reach your legal majority in four more years, four years that you will have to deal with your awakening in the Force whether you like it or not. Or, you can choose to stay down here in this sector, maybe take employment with Xoran and stay in the sphere of the Ysalamiri's influence or you can choose to come with me when I leave, possibly becoming my Padawan Learner or the Padawan of any one of a dozen or more other Masters, good people all of them. It is for you to decide Nirri."

Their respective dinners had arrived by then and they ate in silence. Ryu with gusto and Nirri uncertainly at first and then as her appetite reasserted itself, with more enthusiasm. After dinner, Ryu paid Nirri her agreed upon wage of 100 credits for the day even after she tried to refuse as recompense for the damage to the wall in the dining area, and then they went their separate ways for the night.

Later than night, Nirri would experience her first dream empowered by the Force.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

**Captain's Quarters, U.S.S. Titan**

It had been after dinner with Riker, Deanna and Beverly that Picard rendered his decision to return to the Consulate and resume his duties in person rather than by holo-presence. The outburst had been predictable.

"Admiral, as senior line officer I'm not sure I can allow you to return to Coruscant just yet." Riker said.

In an unspoken moment of communication that only two good friends are capable of, Deanna and Beverly remained neutral and silent in the exchange they both knew was about to unfold between their husbands.

Picard answered, "It is not for you to allow me anything "_Captain"_, and I've made my decision. I cannot allow whoever tried to kill me even the slightest suggestion that I have been intimidated or it will only strengthen their resolve. Up to now, it is well within the realm of probability that I have only been on the Titan as long as I have to ensure that my injuries are completely healed; if I wait any longer, the person or persons responsible for the attempt on my life and the outright murder of my driver Elib Mayon will only step up their campaign, whatever it may be."

The silence was heavy until Picard took a breath and spoke, "Captain, no . . . Will, I appreciate you're desire to look out for me. That concern was one of the main reasons I first chose you as my Number One aboard the Enterprise D. But now, you're concern will only hinder me, not help. It was not my intention to devalue your opinion or your well deserved status as captain on your own ship, but it _has_ to be this way."

Riker knew the logic to be sound and said, "I apologize if I overstepped myself Admiral. You're right, but will you at least allow me to assign a security detachment to you for the, if you'll pardon the expression, foreseeable future?"

Picard answered, "You've nothing to apologize for. I know you're only trying to do your job. Very well; you may assign four and only four, security officers."

Riker said, "I can accept that; two officers for each twelve hour period. I imagine the New Republic may reactivate some or all of your original security team from when you first came to Coruscant. The two teams can be integrated for better all around coverage, and as an opportunity to cross train."

**Federation Consulate, Main Entrance**

The next day, Koni Komax was pacing nervously in front of the entrance to the Consulate. When the Admiral had contacted Koni the night before to inform him that he would be returning to resume his duties, Koni wasted no time in requesting the reactivation of the Admiral's security detail from when he first came to Coruscant. Unfortunately, only four of them were available, but when Koni found out that the Admiral would have a Starfleet Security detail with him, he stopped worrying quite so much. Just then, Koni heard the sound of the impulse engines on the shuttle that was bringing the Admiral. Scant moments after that, the shuttle bearing the Admiral, his wife and the Security team landed on one of the Consulate landing platforms. Koni gestured and the four members of Picard's original security team ran out to meet him. As they got to the hatch of the shuttle, it opened and a hefty visage greeted them. Exiting the shuttle just then was the head of the Starfleet Security detail, one of very few Brikars in all of Starfleet, Lieutenant Kebron, on loan from the U.S.S. Excalibur A, under the command of Mackenzie Calhoun. Following Kebron were three more security officers, two humans and an Andorian. The group formed a protective screen around the Admiral and the doctor and escorted them to the cover of the Consulate entryway.

Picard spoke first, "Koni, it's good to see you again."

Koni answered, "And you as well sir. When you informed me that you would have a Starfleet Security team with you, I had no idea it would be such a colorful group. I was able to secure the services of four of your original team Admiral; all the others are on other assignments at this time. What are your orders?"

Picard said, "Excellent work as usual Koni! You and I will go to my office where you will catch me up on everything that could not be transmitted to me while I was aboard the Titan, my wife will resume her duties and Lieutenant Kebron, who is in charge of the Starfleet team will make whatever arrangements he and the New Republic team see fit to start their duties. Do you have any other questions at this time?"

When Koni indicated he didn't, Picard took a moment to greet the four members of his New Republic team by name and then he and Koni left for Picard's office to get to work.

**Admiral Picard's Office, Federation Consulate**

Picard entered his office with Koni in tow to find he had a visitor waiting in the form of Shaznia Dree-Jayks. Koni, in his capacity as chief of staff spoke, "I'm sorry Master Jedi, but you will have to make an appointment like anyone else. The Admiral will be very busy."

Picard said, "That's alright Koni. Master Dree-Jayks, this is my Chief of Staff, Koni Komax. He also arranges my diplomatic schedule. Koni, this is the Jedi Master Dree-Jayks. She and I are already acquainted. You have some new information concerning the attack?"

Shaznia said, "Yes, I do. My husband Ryu is attempting to pry additional information from a place here on Coruscant commonly referred to as the 'Demon's Battle Cave.' He spoke to me yesterday afternoon and said that he would pass on anything else as he can. For right now, our evidence is pointing to a group that's calling itself H.A.T.E. or Humans Are the Enemy. Admittedly, our evidence is circumstantial but at least we have a name to work with. I've already informed Corran Horn who will be working his sources and passing on everything he finds out to me, at which time I'll pass it on to you or whoever you designate as well as the Jedi Council."

Picard had listened and felt his eyes widen some at the sound of the name 'Demon's Battle Cave'. "What goes on at this cave-place you spoke of? Will your husband be alright?"

Shaznia said, "The cave is a place where full contact fighting and betting on full contact fighting happens. Ryu went there to track down one of the people who attacked our son Kenod, and he believes that he'll get more information on the 'why' and 'what for' when he's done. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be a problem for Ryu because he was a full contact fighter many years ago. He took the title of 'Galaxy's Strongest' before retiring to marry me, open his school and start our family but the owner and operator of the cave, a Falleen named Xoran, himself a former fighter like Ryu and me, has acquired at least three Ysalamiri."

Koni drew a sharp breath that brought all eyes on him. Picard asked, "You know this Xoran?"

Koni said, "Only by reputation Admiral. He was trained in the fighting arts by another Falleen by the name of Xizor who was the leader of a very large, very powerful criminal syndicate known as Black Sun. The Black Sun as we know it now is but a pale shadow of itself when Xizor controlled it. Xizor was killed by Darth Vader when Xizor tried to kill Luke Skywalker during the Galactic Civil War. Xoran runs a small, but successful syndicate of his own that's too small for the New Republic Peace Officer Corps to actively pursue and destroy. The pride of Xoran's group though is the Demon's Battle Cave. It is there that he recruits many of his strongest enforcers and makes the larger part of his financial base. Between entry fees for the fighters, pay-by-the-event fees for any and all interested viewers, gate admission for spectators and the House Cut that the cave takes for all bets placed through its wager kiosks, I've heard of credit totals in the five or even six figure range, and that's even _after_ the winner of an event takes their percentage as a prize. Most winners though, take the offer of employment but some take the money."

Picard said, "You seem well informed Koni. Are you a spectator at such events?"

Koni seemed embarrassed a little before answering and then said, "While I was working my way up the ranks of the Diplomatic Corps, I had to become familiar with such things since many of my assignments liked to go and watch the fights for recreational purposes."

Shaznia seemed to look through him, "There's more to it than that Koni. You're holding something back; it's radiating off of you so strongly, I can't help but be aware of it through the Force."

Koni unconsciously bared his pointed teeth in a feral-seeming gesture before answering, "I used to be a spectator when I could but I no longer actively follow the fighting circuits. Satisfied now Master Jedi? You may very well have just cost me my job."

Picard shook his head, "Why would I ask for your resignation Koni? So you like to watch full contact fighting events, I myself like to practice the art of Fencing and some would define that as a type of fighting. Truly, it matters little to me. You _are_ allowed to have a life of your own you know."

Koni let go of the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding and said, "Thank you Admiral. I wasn't certain how you would interpret my interest, passing though it is, so I never mentioned it."

Picard shifted his attention back to Shaznia and said, "You mentioned something about Ysalamiri? I don't know that I've heard of that. What are they?"

Shaznia answered, "The Ysalamiri is an arboreal reptile, native to the planet Myrkr, a planet in the Inner Rim. They have the naturally occurring ability to push back the Force. Within the sphere of its influence, the Force ceases to exist. For that reason, they're existence it not widely spoken of. Fortunately for the Jedi, the creatures are _very_ difficult to move since their claws grow _into_ the tree, practically making the tree and the Ysalamiri on it, one organism. According to Ryu, there are at least three of them in the Demon's Battle Cave. He was caught off guard but was able to adapt, but not before he took some damage from his opponent. Before leaving for the Cave, Ryu warned me not to accompany him since he said that if two Jedi were to walk into the Cave, he wouldn't be able to get any information at all but I just might ignore his advice and go to him. I haven't decided as yet."

Picard turned back to Koni, "Can you get her into the Cave, Koni?"

Koni shook his head and said, "_I_ can't but I know someone, two someone's in fact, that can. Early in my career, I helped a pair of Neimoidian business partners acquire the first of their contacts that would later help them build their business. That business has been quite successful. They told me that if I ever need a favor in return, to contact them and they can make it happen. Would you like me to contact them Admiral?"

Picard said, "Not yet Koni, but please keep that option open." Returning his attention to Shaznia once more he said, "Do you remember at our initial meeting on the Titan the other day and I was informed of, among other things, the recovered weapon power pack that was defective?" When Shaznia said she did, Picard continued with, "In my travels as a starship captain, I've met many strange people and encountered their equally strange, to me, customs, traditions and yes, their powers. I've heard of an ability called Psychometry, the ability to 'read' inanimate objects psionically. Are there any Jedi at the Temple that could interpret a perspective from that power pack, and maybe find its original owner?"

Shaznia said, "That's an excellent idea Admiral, thank you for suggesting it. I honestly don't know, but I will check on that as soon as I get back to the Temple from here. If we do, I'll let you know and we can set up something and hopefully get a reading from it."

Just then, Shaznia's face lost some of its animation and she swayed a moment on her feet where she stood.

Picard noticed and said, "Are you alright Master Jedi?"

Shaznia put her hand to her head and steadied after a few moments before trusting herself to speak. "Ryu has just entered into the Demon's Battle Cave for his fights today. I can no longer sense him in the Force but at least this time, I know why I can't feel him, unlike yesterday when I thought he might have died. Thank you for your concern Admiral Picard but there's nothing you can do at this time. I'll be in touch as soon as I find out if we have anyone skilled in Psychometry or not. Good day."

Picard said, "And to you as well Master Jedi."

After she had left, Picard turned to Koni and said, "The moment she contacts you to see me, let me know immediately Koni. For now, let's get back to what we had planned on and see what there is to see."

Koni nodded his head, pulled out his PADD and started working as he sat down across from Picard who had just taken his seat behind his desk.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

**Demon's Battle Cave, Second Day, First Fight**

Ryu woke and stretched mightily. After using the 'fresher station, he looked into the mirror, trimmed his beard and noticed that the bruising on his face had faded significantly but was still evident. He also noticed that the cuts were healed completely but there was considerable capillary action just under his skin where the cuts had healed overnight and jumped into the shower. After drying off except his hair, he got dressed in his spare Gi, his belt from the day before and tied his headband back on and let the air dry his hair and his headband as it absorbed stray water droplets. Going down to the dining area he ate a small bowl of fruit, washed it down with a glass of water and threw his bag over his shoulder as he walked out the door. Nirri caught up with him when he was half way to the Cave. She looked as though she hadn't slept well, he could see it in her eyes and a couple of small wrinkles in her suit.

"You look as though you didn't sleep too well Nirri," he said.

She said, "Yea, you could say that. I had the _strangest_ dreams."

"Want to talk about it?" he asked.

She answered, "Why not; usually my dreams are the normal dreams of a preadolescence. Dreams of fame or notoriety, fantasies, that kind of thing, but last night's were different."

"Different how?" he asked.

She answered, "The images bounced around a lot. I could see myself with you at the fights sometimes, other times I was fighting for you, even against you. I saw myself walking into the Temple with you and without you as well. I saw my reflection and that was the weirdest, so weird it woke me up in a cold sweat."

When Nirri shivered involuntarily, Ryu asked, "What did you see when you looked in the mirror?"

Nirri said, "I saw half my face in light just like I see it every morning when I wake up, and the other half in shadow, scowl lines running down from my eye and mouth and my eye is a frightening combination of colors. The outermost is still white but an angry bloodshot red iris with an inner ring of sickly yellow and blacker than black pupil. When I focused on the red-yellow side, I felt a greasy tang in the pit of my stomach like I'd just ingested something carbonated too fast. The other eye, when I focused, I could see myself sitting in a room surrounded by others. I felt safe and warm and protected. Let me ask you Ryu, do you feel as though our dreams can tell us things?" Rapping her forehead with a knuckle as if to knock some sense into her head she said more to herself, "What am I saying, you're a Jedi Master, _of course_ your dreams tell you things."

Ryu said, "Yes, I am a Jedi Master, but I'm also still a man. A man with the gift of the Force, but a man still. I still dream of some of the same things that others do. My wife, my children becoming full Jedi, with all of the rights and the responsibilities that entails; my son just took his Trials a little over two standard months ago, my daughter will be ready very soon now, I'm sure. I still fear for their safety sometimes, but that just comes with being a parent. I hope they'll find that one special person to share their respective lives with; start families of there own and be happy. Sometimes the Force speaks to me through my dreams just as it clearly did to you last night. Like I told you last night at dinner, you're nearing a crossroads, where you will be tempted by the Dark Side. That's what your altered eye represents in your dream. Although we don't have any surviving images of any Sith Lords to verify the eye color, what few written descriptions we _do_ have seem to coincide with your dream. The clear eye in your dream and the image of you surrounded by others who care for you and are listening to you is representative of you embracing the Light Side. Remember Nirri, it all comes down to choices that _only_ you can make."

Nirri remained silent as she though over what Ryu had told her. Ryu stopped for a moment, took a deep breath as if to brace himself and continued walking, a little slower for a few steps and then resumed his normal pace.

Ryu said, "We're back under the Ysalamiri sphere of influence. Did you feel anything just now?"

Nirri answered, "I _did_ feel something of a sort. Reminded me of when as a small child I would hide under my blanket and sounds were muffled and it was a little harder to breath."

He said, "That's the Force being pushed away. Imagine if you can, what it feels like for me, someone who has had the Force since the day he was born, how it feels to lose a very piece of what it is that makes me who and what I am and you'll consider yourself lucky that it only feels like a blanket has been tossed over your head."

Arriving at the main entrance, Acks was there as well as a line of people to get in already. Acks waved Ryu and Nirri in and went back to his weapons search console. Going directly to the fighter's rest area while Nirri went to the betting kiosk, Ryu set his bag down on the bench and started a light warm up routine of stretches and shadow boxing to prepare. The monitor was showing highlights of the first day's fights. A little later, Nirri came in and sat down on the bench next to Ryu's bag while he performed a set of crossover splits on the floor.

As he stretched, Nirri asked, "Ryu, if I decide to go to the Temple with you, what happens then?"

He said, "First, I'll take you to the Council chambers in the Spire so that they can meet you. We no longer turn away prospective students if they're too old. In fact, there is no such thing as too old anymore; at least to our way of thinking. Certainly, if someone is past middle age for their species, we won't expect them to learn the Ataru system of lightsaber fighting, but they may find as they open themselves to the Force that they can jump a little further, a little higher, or more accurately when they need to. You would be assigned a room in the Temple until a Master is chosen for you and you would start to attend the general classes of other Force Sensitives. There are no written tests, lots of oral ones though. Some of the classes you go to are general knowledge with little or nothing to do with the Force at all, others, later on are nothing but learning how to commune with the Force."

Nirri contemplated a moment and then said, "What about days off to relax or just to get out of the Temple for a day? Could I still place some bets if I want or go shopping or out to eat? Seems kind of unreasonable to expect someone to stay entirely within the Temple grounds for the years it would take to learn what is expected."

Ryu chuckled and said, "For someone like you Nirri, who's been on their own for as long as you have, allowances can be made with little or no difficulty. Gambling in and of itself is discouraged only because if you happen to be gifted with Farsight, as it seems you may, it would be unkind to say the least, to those who can't. Also, you won't need money per se as that the Temple will supply you with everything you need. In time, you'll come to see that money is really not the important. Look at me, I could place bets on myself but I don't. There are those that consider me and my wife to be wealthy as that our school turns a healthy profit every month but most of that is put right back into it so that all my students, Force Sensitive and normal; can have the best equipment and facilities to train in. What little money I and my wife keep for ourselves is spent on only what we need to live what we consider the good life. Rent, food, the same sorts of things that anyone else needs to live. You may find as well that you won't need very many clothes. In truth, most of my clothes are some combination of what you see me wearing right now and I don't ever feel out of place. Although I _do_ have a couple of nice suits, those are only for really special occasions like my wedding anniversary where what I'm wearing just wouldn't be appropriate."

As Ryu finished speaking, Barab the Barabel came up to him. Ryu recovered from his splits and stood to look up into the face of the two meter tall nonhuman.

Barab said in slightly mangled Basic, "If meet, I no fight you. You wise Jedi. Barabels no fight Jedi . . . ever."

Ryu said, "I appreciate the thought, but I don't think I'm a wise man at all. It's just how I am."

Barab made the hissing equivalent of laughter, "You wise Jedi, you know you not wise. That makes you wise."

Choosing not to comment on the circular logic of the statement, Ryu said, "You say you won't fight a Jedi, but you attacked my son. Why?"

Barab spoke in a low hissing whisper, "Not know was your youngling. Not know he Jedi at all until blue fire hit us. Was just a job to me. Would _never_ hurt Jedi youngling or adult if knew. Will talk after fights today; tell you what you want to know then."

Barab walked away leaving Ryu to wonder what he would learn later. Turning to Nirri he said, "Hand me my fighting gear please and the package of power cells next to it as well, would you Nirri?"

Nirri handed Ryu his foot gear first so that he could change out the power cells and then put them on his feet. When he did the same thing for his hand gear, the announcement came over the speakers, "Ryu Jayks, to the fighting platform . . . Ryu Jayks to the fighting platform."

Adjusting his hand gear one last time and checking to make sure his headband was tied properly, Ryu walked out of the rest area with Nirri close behind and into the passageway that led to the arena itself. The crowd noise could already be heard and only got louder as Ryu got closer. Going through the last set of doors was like walking into a wall of sound as the spectators in their seats cheered or booed even louder. Stepping onto the platform found Ryu face to face with Xoran who was in a different but no less flashy suit of clothes.

Xoran spoke, "Please help me welcome our guest fighter back to the Demon's Battle Cave, Ryu Jayks!" The crowd noise increased all through the tiers of seats and signs were held up over heads here and there. Some messages were encouraging, others, not so much.

Xoran's voice issued from the speakers again, "Our guest fighter, showing his warrior's mettle and fighting spirit, even after losing his greatest power thanks to our little friend overhead, the Ysalamiri, triumphed over two fighters, Gondo Krel and Velish Cor but took some damage in the process. How do you feel today Master Jedi? Still a little sore? Or are you rested and ready to fight again?"

Ryu ignored the jibe which set the crowd off again in another flurry of cheers or hisses.

Xoran took it in stride, "As ever, our guest fighter shows his integrity with his silence. So be it. There has been a slight change to today's fight card fans! One of our finalists from yesterday, the older of the two Zabraks, Ogan Ooth was arrested on outstanding warrants leaving his younger brother Tomar Ooth to fight today. I'll leave it to you, the fans, to decide which one of our seven remaining finalists from yesterday gets to fight twice today!"

In only a few seconds the crowd made their choice known. In chanting unison, the majority of the crowd could be heard, "Jedi . . . Jedi . . . Jedi!"

Xoran turned off his amplifier a moment while the crowd kept chanting and said, to Ryu, "Don't look at me Master Jedi, I had nothing to do with Ogan Ooth's arrest, or with you being chosen to fight twice today. You can hear for yourself, the fans have spoken."

Ryu said in a low voice, "Good one Xoran. If I were to buy that for a credit, I'll just bet you'd throw in the Imperial Palace for free, to sweeten the deal. Like you pointed out, this is _your_ world we're in and you make all the rules, so just get on with it. The sooner I get done today, the closer I get to you."

Xoran smiled mirthlessly, turned his amplifier back on and said, "Let's hear it for our guest fighter again! He's just informed me that he'll fight!"

The crowd roared louder than ever as Xoran brought in Ryu's first opponent. "Our first fight today, brings us one of our rarest fighters to enter the Cave, the Blood Carver who refused to give a name when it entered the lists for this tournament. Let's hear it for the Blood Carver!"

The iridescent gold person entered the arena. Though it looked willowy and fragile, Ryu knew that the Blood Carvers as a species were anything but willowy and fragile. The three jointed arms and legs made it practically impossible to put any kind of a submission hold on them. As the Carver stepped up onto the platform, Ryu could see that the fleshy flaps on its face bore only one matched pair of tattoos, one on each flap, which told Ryu that it was just getting started in what was widely considered the true art of the Blood Carvers, the art of assassination. Ryu saw that its fighting gear had special sheathes over each of its hand and foot claws. That told him that this was not going to be an assassination, only a fight.

Xoran spoke again, "The Blood Carver has just returned to Coruscant from who knows where, and entered this event at the last minute so we have no statistics to share with you but than only makes it all the more sweet. Let the fight begin!"

The moment Xoran was off of the platform, Ryu went into his stance. The Carver jumped at Ryu, but seeing the intent through the Ki, Ryu stepped back out of range. The moment the Carver landed, Ryu closed the distance by moving across the platform and executing a flip kick that caught the Carver directly under the chin with his instep. The Carver's spine arched with the recoil from the kick, and the shock, as Ryu landed, only to be hit with another flip kick as the Carver returned to a standing position. As the Carver returned to a standing position again, its nostril flaps spread wide to indicate both a question as if to say, '_What just happened?' _and also respect as if to say, _'What do you know? I am defeated.'_ The Carver collapsed right where it stood. The silence in the tiered stands of seats was thick enough to be cut into bite size pieces and eaten, if it were possible until first one section of the spectators started to clap and cheer, their reaction quickly spreading to other adjoining sections until the entire arena was cheering, clapping or hissing and booing.

Xoran came back onto the platform and activating his amplifier said, "Well now . . . that was certainly quick. Unexpectedly quick, but quick just the same. Once again, our guest fighter shows why he earned the title of 'Galaxy's Strongest' all those years ago. That being said, should we bring in his next opponent or let him wait awhile? What do you say?"

The audience started chanting right away, "Fight . . . fight . . . FIGHT!"

Xoran nodded and said, "There you have it. For your enjoyment then, let's bring in the next fighter!"

From the direction of the fighters' rest area, the Chiss could be seen to enter. His jet black hair had been slicked back and his glowing red eyes seemed to stand out against his blue skin. As he stepped up onto the platform it could be seen that he was about the same height as Ryu, give or take a centimeter and his fighting gear showed the clear and unmistakable signs of use.

Xoran said, "Our entrant today hails from the Chiss Ascendancy in the Unknown Regions but brings with him an impressive record of 29-5-1. Please welcome to the Demon's Battle Cave, Mindor'oth'enures, or Rothen for simplicity's sake."

The crowd cheered and cheered.

The Chiss stepped into his fighting position and Ryu into his. Both fighters could see something of a kindred spirit in the other. Neither one had a use for, and even less time, to waste on the pomp and circumstance that Xoran was using.

Xoran said, "Well it looks like our two fighters are ready to go! Very well then . . . FIGHT!"


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

**U.S.S. Titan**

Michelle returned to the Cargo Bay after making a call to Shazi and asking about Ryu. Relieved to know that her cousin was still alive, she promptly apologized to Rosim and Moro.

Rosim spoke first, "No apologies necessary Michelle. Family should always come first. At any rate, we've pretty much wrung all the information we can out of this speeder. Captain Riker informed Engineering that as soon as the investigation is complete, we are to repair the Admiral's speeder and install a deflector shield generator so that he can't ever be sniped again like he was."

Michelle said, "I didn't think there was enough space in a Diplomatic speeder for a shield generator."

Keichi spoke this time, "That would be the case if it used impulse and warp drives that come standard on all Starfleet craft, but since this thing uses a fusion power source to provide thrust, the shield generator won't have all the bells and whistles like on a Starfleet shuttle or runabout."

Michelle smiled and said, "I can probably get you a wide selection of blaster weapons to test with if you like. In all due honesty, if you pull this off and make it practical, I would strongly suggest that you apply for the secondary patents on it. There will be so much business for vehicular retrofits that you could go into business together, open your own shop, go to work and retire in only a few years with the royalties to live off of, if you wanted to."

Rosim and Moro shared a glance and then Rosim spoke, "Neither of us care about the money but I _do_ like the idea of the secondary patent so that this little beauty will carry both our names and Starfleet gets the positive PR for it. A little good karma can go a long way."

Michelle smiled and said, "I thought you might feel that way." Taking a PADD that was clipped to her belt that neither engineer saw, she handed it over and said, "Truth be told, just last night I had a vision through the Force and knew that we would have this conversation. You'll find all of the basic information already filled out in the required fields, just add the technical specifications and get it back to me. As soon as the investigation is over, I'll send it to the Patent Office and you'll get your confirmation in a month or two."

Just then, Deanna's voice came over the COM panel, "Padawan Karú, to Shuttle Bay 2, Padawan Karú to Shuttle Bay 2 please."

Leaving the two bemused engineers behind, Michelle stopped at the COM panel by the main doors, activated it and said, "Padawan Karú acknowledges; on my way."

**Shuttle Bay 2**

A few minutes later, Michelle walked into the shuttle bay to be greeted by her fellow Padawan, Deanna Troi. With her was Michelle's master, Jaina Solo. Bowing at the waist to her master, and bidding the young woman with her mother's hair and eyes, but her father's touch with all things machine welcome, Michelle said, "Welcome aboard the U.S.S. Titan, Master Jaina. How was the flight up?"

Returning the bow Jaina said, "Uneventful; I asked the pilot if I could take the controls for a time to try them out since I've long since memorized the configuration of the controls, but they wouldn't let me so I just tore apart the wall panel at my seat and reassembled it just before arrival."

Shocked silence reigned for a few seconds as Michelle said, "Please tell me you didn't actually do that Master?"

Jaina smiled and said, "Tore apart, no, opened, yes and sent a Force touch through the pathways to gain a better understanding of some of the nonessential systems aboard a Starfleet shuttlecraft. I have to say, remarkably efficient for something so small and clunky looking." Changing the subject, she asked, "How goes your side of the investigation then?" Deanna made to leave the shuttle bay leaving the two women, Master and Student alone, when Jaina said, "Don't go just yet please Deanna. I think you'll be of great help once you hear me out." Deanna stopped where she was and turned her attention back to Jaina.

Michelle answered, "We've gotten just about everything we can out of the Admiral's speeder. I guess for now, I don't have anything going on. Would you like a tour of the Titan and some flight time with a shuttle? I'm sure I can arrange it with Captain Riker."

Jaina nodded her head and said, "Not right now, thanks, definitely later though. Right now, I have training for you."

"Training? What did you have in mind Master?" Michelle asked.

Shaznia Jayks is looking for someone versed in Psychometry. Are you familiar with it?" Jaina asked.

Michelle answered, "Only in passing. It's the ability to take a psychic reading off of an inanimate object, isn't it?"

Jaina nodded, "Right the first time Michelle. The Order _does_ have a few skilled in Psychometry but they're all offworld right now so I said that I would see if you could get any images from this." Holding up an evidence bag with both the NRPOC and Starfleet Security seals on it, Michelle saw a small oblong object with visible connectors on top.

Michelle asked, "That looks like a power pack to a weapon of some kind Master. How do you think I can be of any help?"

Jaina answered, "Right again. It is a power pack. In point of fact, it's a power pack from one of the weapons that was used on Ambassador Picard. Like me, your awareness of the Force is particularly in tune with all things mechanical and electronic. My little brother Anakin was the same way when he was still a toddler but as he grew up; his abilities shifted in the Force and now he only can 'see' into those mechanical or electronic things that he works with most, like his and Tahiri's lightsabers for example, or when the baby monitors that he and Tahiri were using with their newborn son Tahiran suddenly stopped working, Anakin checked all the usual things first, power supply, transmitter range, that sort of thing. When he took a moment and used the Force to 'see' into the units, he found that several wires had been pulled from their connection points on the circuit board. The only conclusion he could come to was that his son's unconscious pushing and pulling with the Force pulled the wires. Where your Force awareness differs is that for most of your life, you were surrounded by technology. Food Replicators, transporters, tricorders and warp drives to name a few. As soon as Jacen and I were old enough, we went to the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4 where our Uncle Luke intentionally kept things low-tech so that all of his students could get a better feel for the Force all around them."

Michelle nodded and said, "I see your point Master. If your nephew could do that while still in his crib, it makes me wonder how Jacen and Tenel Ka's daughters Allana and Padmé will manifest their abilities; or your own children, when you decide to have them."

Jaina rolled her eyes to the ceiling and said, "I'm in no hurry, especially since I have a better than average chance of having twins the same as my mother did with her first pregnancy. Anyway, back to the subject at hand; I told Shaznia that I would have you attempt a reading off of this power pack. To aid you in this, I'd like to ask Deanna to link with you and me through the Force and into what is referred to as Force-meld or Jedi Meld if you prefer. I'll provide overall direction in the meld and she can help you to interpret anything you see. She's got more experience with interpretation of perspective than I do."

Deanna said, "I'll be happy to help in any way I can Master Jaina. When would you like to start?"

Jaina said, "As soon as you can take us somewhere quiet with little likelihood of being disturbed."

Deanna considered for a moment and said, "I know just the place. Follow me please."

**Holodeck 1**

Entering the holodeck, Deanna said out loud, "Computer, close and seal doors, block all incoming messages until further notice."

The computer's voice replied moments later, "Working . . . complete. Any further directions at this time?"

Deanna said, "Yes. Access the design schematics for the meditation chamber inside the Captain's Quarters. Please inform me when you have done so."

Moments later, the computer said, "Working . . . complete. Any further directions at this time?"

Deanna said, "Yes. Please create three identical units as indicated in the schematics except place them in a circular pattern, each seat touching the other so that three adult human or near-human people may comfortably make a triangle."

The voice said, "Working . . . complete. Any further directions at this time."

The three raised and padded seats had appeared in the center of the holodeck, each touching the other, exactly as directed. The three women sat down on them in a cross-legged position and got comfortable.

Deanna said, "Computer, decrease ambient lighting by 50%; now please create a cone of silence that completely encloses the seats that will negate all exterior sounds and overlay an image of the 'Searcher' constellation as seen from Betazed in the middle of high summer. Also, overlay the sound of the high summer crickets within the cone of silence and set the temperature to 26.6° C."

"Working . . . complete. Any further directions at this time?" asked the Computer.

Deanna answered, "Not at this time, thank you."

The image of the 'Searcher' was overhead and was breathtakingly clear and beautiful. The cone eliminated all exterior sounds so completely that one could all but forget that they were on a starship, especially with the pleasant sound of the crickets as they chirped and the comfortable warmth within the darkened room.

Handing the evidence bag to Michelle, Jaina said, "I understand what your attempting Deanna; excellent idea; now, while you and I join hands on one side, with our free hands, place them on Michelle's knees. Ordinarily, we wouldn't have to make a physical connection but since this is our first attempt, it seems the right thing to do. Michelle, take the power pack out of the bag and hold it with both of your hands and then join with us in the Force. It may feel a little strange at first when you feel Deanna's and my minds make contact with yours but relax, trust in the Force and let it _flow_."

Doing as instructed, Michelle took the pack out of the bag and held it in both hands. Taking some deep breaths to clear her mind and focus her intent, she soon felt the minds of her Master and her fellow Padawan. Allowing them past her defenses took but a moment. Feeling the circle of mind energy like a circuit connecting was exhilarating. Focusing her intent to the power pack in her hands, Michelle soon saw an incoherent stream of images, sounds and feelings when Deanna's voice was heard, _"Relax Michelle. Don't try to fold or bend the images to your senses. Instead, let your senses piggyback on the images and they'll begin to solidify. A little slower now . . . almost there . . . yes, you have it now Michelle. Let us see what you see and hear what you hear."_

In her mind's eye, Michelle could see everything around her like the images in a recording going in reverse. _The power pack was being handed to Jaina by a man in dark green robes with a graying beard on his chin and his hair militarily short. Michelle didn't know who he was until Jaina's voice identified him as Corran Horn, the Jedi Investigator. The images continued as the pack continued to change hands with Starfleet Security and NRPOC personnel and still it moved backwards until it was seen to be thrown out of a weapon._ Without being told, Michelle let the images run a short way further then slowed them down a little further and started them running forward. _The shooter that had discarded the pack so thoughtlessly was a Rodian. The Rodian was at the window with a blaster rifle on a bipod perched on the ledge as the long fingered hands slammed the pack into the weapon. The shooter was seen to exhale and slowly squeeze the trigger until it clicked. Nothing happened. The shooter squeezed the trigger twice more and still nothing happened. It was then that the shooter ejected the pack and threw it away as he inserted another pack. His fleshy lips could be heard to mumble a stream of what Michelle was forced to assume was Rodian invective as that she didn't speak or understand Rodian. The Rodian was seen to try and get another shot off but couldn't. Soon after, the Rodian closed the bipod legs into their carry position along the barrel of the rifle and left the room._

Michelle, Deanna and Jaina all took a deep breath in unison and let the meld dissipate. Michelle felt both drained and wired at the same time, almost like she had just gotten off of an 18 hour shift in Engineering with nothing but Lieutenant Commander Mason Kovatch's coffee to keep her going.

Michelle was the first to speak, "That was kind of intense Master. Is the Force-meld always like that?"

Jaina answered, "It depends entirely on the situation. This does confirm one thing for me though. As I thought, you _are_ skilled in Psychometry. We'll definitely have to put more time into your training in that regard."

Deanna asked, "How does this really help in the long run Master Jaina? I doubt that anything that we saw and heard is admissible in a court of law. As to the Rodian we all saw in the vision, I didn't see anything that would qualify as a distinguishing characteristic. Scars, tattoos . . . nothing."

Jaina spoke, "You're both right and wrong Deanna. You're right about nothing that we saw being admissible in court, but how this does help us is that while there may be a large Rodian population on Coruscant, not very many of them have access to the funds that would allow them to have the type of blaster we all saw in the vision, still fewer have any reason to even _have_ those weapons in the first place. Rodians, like most people are just trying to live their lives like anyone else. This helps us narrow the search down to Rodian criminals or clans that may be trying to make a name for themselves. A group like that would be prime recruitment material for a group like H.A.T.E. Once we have a likely suspect or group of suspects, we can request warrants to detain them for questioning. In the course of an official warrant, that's when anything the Jedi get _can_ be used as evidence. Thoughts, feelings, lies or attempts to hide a lie. You've done well Michelle, especially for a first attempt."

Michelle shook her head in negation, "Thank you Master but Deanna deserves the credit for this more than me. Without her guidance to get me to control the flow of images, it would've been little more than junk that any of us saw. I don't know about anyone else right now, but I feel pretty well tapped out right now."

Jaina said, "That's to be expected since we were in that meld for a little over two hours. That kind of extended, active use of the Force can leave a person feeling pretty drained."

Michelle and Deanna both exploded, "Two hours!"

Jaina nodded again, "Yea, two hours. I suggest that we all get something to eat and then go to bed early. Deanna, would your husband mind if I borrowed some guest quarters on the Titan for tonight? I'm feeling more than a little drained myself right now since I was acting as overall guide for this exercise."

Deanna shook her head and said, "Not at all Master Jaina. In fact it would be better if you stay here tonight anyway since your Padawan owes you a tour of the ship and some time on a shuttle. I'll set you up in the guest quarters right next to Michelle." Putting deed to words, the three women got up from their respective seats as Deanna said out loud, "Computer, end program." Leaving the holodeck behind, Deanna led the other two women to their respective quarters and then went to talk with her Mother who was staying on the Titan.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

**Demon's Battle Cave, Second Day, Second Fight**

Ryu and Rothen warily circled each other, sizing each other up; neither one ready to commit to an attack.

Ryu said to himself, '_He's got a tight defense. I don't see any openings. He's good.'_

Ryu looked for the Ki to indicate where the first attack might come from but saw no specific telltales. Suddenly, Rothen moved forward but instead of seeing just one leg or arm being led by the path of light, Ryu saw a miniscule flicker from all of Rothen's limbs. Never having seen this exact permutation before left Ryu with the smallest of holes in his defense just long enough for Rothen to slide in and connect with a four hit combination left high, right low, left low, and right high. The two high hits would've connected with Ryu's chin in a one-two effect, but he just managed to move his head back enough that Rothen had to change direction mid-punch and the two high hits connected with Ryu's chest instead. Both low hits in turn connected with Ryu's abdomen but he tightened his abdominal muscles at the moment of impact, thus enabling him to absorb and internally dissipate most of the energy of the impact itself, then the shock gear did its job and caused Ryu to fall backwards. In mid-fall, Ryu did a break-fall and turned it into a reverse rollaway. Rothen moved forward again to press his momentary advantage, but Ryu got back to his feet and lunged forward with a leaping knee strike to Rothen's chest. At the moment of impact, the two fighters seemed almost to be suspended in the air, irresistible force versus immovable object, Rothen's forward momentum to Ryu's counterforce. Ryu then fired off a short left jab that connected squarely on Rothen's jaw, splitting his lower lip _and_ delivering the shock from Ryu's handgear. Rothen fell back this time and performed the same break fall-reverse roll to get back to his feet that Ryu had only moments before. Wiping the blood from his lip, Rothen broke with the mold of the emotionless Chiss by smiling and nodding his head in acknowledgement of the clean hit. Ryu chose not to press for advantage this time and waited as he moved back to the center of the platform.

Again, the fighters circled each other, looking for an opening, no matter how small. Looking to the Ki, Ryu saw the same light track from all of Rothen's limbs again as Rothen grabbed the front of Ryu's gi, but instead of going for the throw as Ryu expected, Rothen instead wrapped both legs around Ryu's causing him to fall back again and hit the platform on his back with a solid thud. Ryu kept his head up to prevent impact and the probable concussion to follow as Rothen unwrapped his legs from Ryu's in an attempt to get into a better mounted position to grapple, Ryu was able to bring both knees up underneath Rothen and in a jackknife-like motion, kicked up, sending Rothen over the top. Rothen, too good a fighter to be caught offguard put both hands down to simultaneously catch himself and guide the energy of the throw into a forward somersault that allowed him to get to his feet in one fluid motion. Ryu too had gotten back to his feet by this time. As he turned to face Rothen, he nodded his head this time to acknowledge a good technique, countered though it was, but a good technique all the same.

The two fighters came back into range and Ryu slid forward this time and attempted to deliver two short right round kicks to Rothen's thigh, like he had done in his fight against Gondo Krel. His first kick connected but Rothen turned his shin and blocked the second kick. In the seeming split second it took for Rothen to get his blocking leg back on the platform, Ryu lashed out with a high right round kick to Rothen's head which was ducked. Ryu followed through with the missed kick and his left leg that had been his support leg became a low sweep at the ankle. Rothen's ankles were caught by the sweep and as he went to the ground, Ryu threw a left hook that landed on Rothen's cheekbone. As Rothen hit the platform, the roars of the crowd got louder and louder, and Ryu stepped away from his fallen opponent and seeing that he was still conscious, stood back and waved at him to get back on his feet. When Rothen did, the crowd became louder still.

Rothen edged in slightly, staying out of Ryu's kicking range. Rothen shifted leads left-right-left-right. As Ryu changed leads in time to match, Rothen moved forward and seemed to almost fly horizontally in a scissor that caught Ryu. Rothen's left leg was low on Ryu's legs below the knee and Rothen's right leg was high at Ryu's waist. The sudden shift in leverage was unrecoverable and Ryu slammed down on the platform yet again. Rothen extricated his left leg and levered up on it to bring his right foot down and connect with Ryu's face. Ryu's head was just starting to come up when the kick connected. The distance between the back of his head and the platform being so short and the very thin padding of the platform were the only things that kept Ryu from bouncing his head off the mat and into a severe concussion, maybe even knock out. Even so, the shock from Rothen's footgear almost put him down for the count.

In an almost mirror of Ryu's earlier gesture to him, Rothen got back to his feet and moved away, motioning Ryu to get back to his feet. Ryu rolled over and got to his feet. Saying to himself, _'I'm getting too old for this dianoga swill,' _and got back into stance when a possible finish occurred to Ryu. Both fighters were bloodied by this time. Ryu thought to himself, _'He expects patterns and sees counters, it's time to change it up.'_ Sliding into range again, Ryu performed two spinning heel kicks. When Rothen dodged these, Ryu knew just what to do next. As he recovered from his second kick, he made as if to sweep Rothen's legs again. Rothen seeing this went to jump over the sweeping leg but instead of following through with the sweep, Ryu changed the sweep into a back spinning knife-edge kick that landed squarely in Rothen's gut. The double hit of the kick and the shock from Ryu's foot gear broke through Rothen's guard, forcing all his air out in a loud 'whoosh' that could be heard clear into the first three rows of the tiered seating, and practically wrapped Rothen around Ryu's kick. Ryu felt through his kick some of Rothen's lowermost ribs give way along with his air supply. Rothen flew away and back from Ryu's kick to slide across the platform almost a meter.

Instinctually Rothen clutched at his tortured abdomen and fractured ribs after he landed, his glowing red eyes locked onto Ryu's hazel ones. Walking over to where Rothen lay, Ryu bowed and said only for him to hear, "You fought well Mindor'oth'enures. I was honored to fight one such as you. Thank you."

Rothen placed a fist into his open hand and bowed at the neck and said, "It is _you_ who honors me, Master Jedi. Thank you."

Helping Rothen to his feet and then assisting him down from the platform as Rothen's support team entered the arena to see to their fighter caused on even greater round of roars and applause throughout the tiers of seats filled to capacity with fight fans.

Xoran had come down from his special box by this time and turning on his amplifier; he grabbed Ryu's hand at the wrist and held it up to officially acknowledge his victory. Ryu was too tired and far too sore to object as Xoran said, "Once again our guest fighter shows his mettle and why he_ is_ the galaxy's strongest! Let's hear it for our winner, Ryu Jayks!"

The crowd noise was louder than ever. Even some of Ryu's detractors were standing and cheering as Ryu stepped down off the platform to stand next to Nirri and strip off his gloves and foot gear but instead of going back to the fighter's rest area, Ryu stepped into the reserved seating area located a short distance from the platform side where two empty seats were found. Ryu and Nirri remained silent as the fight between the Dresselian and the Gank resulted in a double knockout.

After the two unconscious fighters were taken away, Nirri looked over to Ryu and said, "Why aren't we going back to the rest area?"

Ryu answered, "Truth be told, I'm expecting this next fight to be a short one. You were with me when Barab said that he wouldn't fight me, but his own fighter's pride won't let him throw the match. I don't know if Xoran will let him forfeit and Barab also said that he would tell me what I needed to know about the attack on my son."

Nirri said, "Speaking of information, the moment you won your fight, a MSE droid rolled up and gave me a datacard. I tried to skim through it but it's been encrypted. Do you think it might be the information Barab mentioned?"

Ryu said, "It's possible but we'll look it over once we're away from Xoran's influence here in the Cave and have the decryption code for it, which, unless I miss my guess completely, Barab will give that to me after his fight. Here he comes now. This could get interesting."

The fight went longer than it needed but Ryu could tell from early on that Barab would win, that he was doing little more than playing with the Zabrak, Tomar Ooth, more to keep the fans happy than for any real challenge.

After Tomar's unconscious body was taken away, Xoran walked out onto the platform and waved Ryu back up onto the platform motioning for the crowd to settle down. After he did, Xoran activated his amplifier, held up one of Ryu's arms and one of Barab's and said, "Our next to last fight, scheduled for tomorrow at 1200 standard hours will be Barab versus Ryu Jayks!"

Barab yanked his arm out of Xoran's grip and said, "Told you! Won't fight Jedi! Forfeit I say, forfeit!"

Xoran turned off his amplifier and said, "If you forfeit your fight over some ancient and petty vow, you will never be allowed to fight in the Demon's Battle Cave again! And I'll have your name and image blacklisted. You'll never work in this hemisphere of Coruscant again Barab! Think it over!"

Barab hissed again in the Barabel equivalent of laughter and said, "Nothing to think! Honor have no expiration. I leave now but will watch wise Jedi make gundark bait out of you."

Barab left the platform then amid loud booing from the audience. Recovering his poise quickly, Xoran turned on his amplifier again, "For reasons lost to history, Barab the Barabel has decided to forfeit!" The crowd let their opinion of that be known very quickly.

Xoran continued, "That being said, and in accordance with the rules of the Demon's Battle Cave, Ryu Jayks has earned the right to fight me for ownership of the Cave. I have accepted his challenge! Tomorrow at 1200 hours Coruscant Standard Time, two fighters will face off here, and only one of us will be leaving!" The crowd was louder than ever in anticipation of the next day's fight. Slowly the crowd broke up and left the arena. Turning off his amplifier Xoran turned to Ryu and said, "Prepare yourself Master Jedi. I was not just telling the crowd what they wanted to hear. Originally, I had no intention of killing you . . . _yet, _now, consequences be damned, I do. Tomorrow on this very platform. For tonight, as a gesture to a dead man, dine with me in my private residence and I'll answer all your questions . . . not that it will help you or your reason for coming here since you'll be dead after tomorrow."

Ryu shook his head and said, "My cousin told me a Klingon proverb that fits this situation exactly."

Xoran chuckled mirthlessly and said, "What would that be?"

Ryu answered, "Drink not with thine enemy. To be honest Xoran, you are _not_ my enemy but all the same, you must be altered or something to think that I would enter your private residence to accept a dinner invitation when you've just told me that you were going to kill me tomorrow."

In answer, Xoran held up his wrist with its attached controller, entered a code sequence in and moments later, the support frame with the Ysalamiri was retracted into the ceiling. A few seconds after that, Ryu felt the Force return to him.

Xoran said, "Scan me if you like Master Jedi, and you'll find that I don't need to poison you or hinder you in any way. My invitation is an honest one, just as my intention to kill you is."

Ryu took the opportunity and did as Xoran offered and was truly surprised to find that Xoran was being totally honest.

Xoran said, "The Ysalamiri that was in the arena will be moved into my Residence, a few floors above us here to keep you as honest as I have just been. Acks will come for you at that dump of a hostel you're staying in at 1800 standard tonight." Motioning to Ryu first then to Nirri, Xoran said, "Wear something other than a blood-spattered gi, and leave your _servant_ at your hostel."

Because of the clearly audible derision in his voice at the mention of Nirri, Ryu played a hunch and expanded his Force sense to include both Nirri and Xoran and found something somewhat surprising as Ryu countered with, "Nirri is not my servant, but she is my manager for this event. If she wants to come with me later, she can, as far as I'm concerned, but I rather doubt she will; until later then Xoran."

Ryu left the platform, grabbed his bag and tossed it over his shoulder. As he and Nirri left the arena, she said, "What was that about back there Ryu? Why did he put the Ysalamiri away?"

Once they were well away from the Cave, Ryu answered, "Xoran has informed me of his decision to kill me in tomorrow's fight but before he does, he invited me to dine with him where he would answer my questions. He says it won't do me any good but I don't believe him. He put the Ysalamiri away so that I could do a Force scan of him to determine if he was telling the truth or not. He was being honest about the invitation as well as his intention to try and kill me tomorrow."

Nirri said, "You're not actually going to take him up on his invitation, are you? What's this about killing you?"

Ryu said, "Yes, I will listen to him and he has his reasons, or so he thinks and the operative word here Nirri is '_try"_ to kill me. I've no intention of letting him kill me nor do I plan on killing him, so don't ask. He doesn't want you there though. I didn't speak for you except to say, you probably won't go. Is there some kind of bad blood between you two somehow?"

Nirri said, "After a fashion. Xoran might and I stress _might_ be my biological father but even if he is, I want nothing to do with him or his operation. He tried to recruit me a couple of times as an informant since I know the low places that he would never go himself. I turned him down and since he hasn't been told 'no' very often since he came to power down here, he didn't take it too well. After that, I made sure to dig up all the dirt I could find on him and use that as a kind of leverage. He leaves me alone to do my own thing and I keep the information in a safe place with some redundancies put in place so that if anything happens to me, the information I have goes public. Xoran may not act like a normal Falleen when he's announcing for the fights in the Cave, but when he's not doing that, he is the quintessential Falleen in all other business dealings, feudal to the core and obsessed with his social standing among other Falleen. That's why he told you to leave me at the Hostel which suits me fine since I have other things to do right now. So, as your manager, I'm telling you to get a shower, something to eat and get into your Rest Trance. I'll go ahead and send the data I've got on H.A.T.E. after I get the decryption code for that datacard that Barab gave me, to your wife. When I'm done there, I'll pick up some nicer clothes for you and get both sets of your fighting clothes cleaned and ready for tomorrow."

Ryu nodded his head and said, "Fair enough Nirri. Before we split up, I can sense that you want to ask me something. Go ahead and ask."

Nirri was silent a few steps and said, "Two things actually, first, if I go with you to the Temple will you teach me how to fight like you do? Second, how did you do those flip kicks against the Blood Carver? I thought you couldn't perform techniques like that without the Force."

Ryu said, "To answer your first question, the Council will have to decide if I would be the best choice as your Jedi Master. Whether I am or not, sooner or later, you'll end up in a Teräs Käsi class at the Temple with other Padawans or at my dojo specifically where my son Kenod teaches. But keep in mind that Teräs Käsi is just one path of many possible paths in the Force. But yes, if you want, I'll teach you something of the art of fighting, not only so you can fight when you need to, but also so you can learn how _not_ to fight. To answer your second question, while the Force does augment my physical abilities considerably, muscle memory is what allows me to perform the basic technique. My father, Ronin Jayks, taught me Teräs Käsi from about the age of five standard years old, long before the more specific training in the Force he gave me before I went away with Master Skywalker to finish my Jedi studies."

Nirri said, "Muscle memory . . . that sounds familiar. Something I've read somewhere or other. Refresh my memory please."

Ryu answered, "Muscle memory is what allows you to walk, run or input commands on your PADD without thinking about it."

"Ah, aha." She replied.

After getting back to the hostel, Ryu asked Nirri to help him by running his medical tricorder over his entire body, front to back. When she was done, she handed the unit back to him where he input some separate commands and read off the prognosis, "As I thought, slight concussion, several contusions and even with my mouthpiece in, some of my teeth were knocked loose with that kick I took on the ground. Nothing some time in a healing trance can't fix after a few hours. Since I've got about six hours until Acks comes for me, I've got time for a protein shake to give me the energy I need for the heal trance to do its work."

Nirri said, "I'll go and get it for you while you hit the shower, then I'll take your fighting clothes to be cleaned for tomorrow, pick you up something to wear other than a gi for your meeting with Xoran later as well as send that data packet to your wife."

Fitting action to words, Nirri did as she said she would. When she came back, Ryu was out of the shower and wore a pair of sweat shorts and t-shirt, downed the shake in a few swallows and stretched out on the bed in his room and entered Healing Trance moments later. Picking up his things to be cleaned, Nirri left to get word to Ryu's wife as well as the information she had collected to that point for the investigation that Ryu had mentioned to her.

Later, after Nirri had collected her winnings for the bet she placed for that days' fights and picked up both sets of Ryu's gi, she went to a clothier and walked out with a casual dress pair of pants, shirt and boots for Ryu for his meeting. Out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw something on one of the public news screens scattered about the area. Not really understanding why, she got the distinct impression that she should wait for the video to recycle and when she saw a news piece that made her decide to skip the detailed data transmission that she'd planned on sending and instead opted for a short message for Shaznia Dree-Jayks and then going back to Ryu's hostel and waiting in what passed for a lounge area to scrutinize the data stream on her PADD while Ryu finished his heal trance.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

**U.S.S. Titan, Captain's Cabin**

The morning after the Force-meld, Jaina met the two Padawans over breakfast in the quarters Deanna shared with her husband, who was already on duty by that time.

Jaina said, "Great news! Just before I went to sleep last night, I called Corran Horn and my Uncle Luke with what we'd uncovered in the meld. Corran said he'd get started on it right away and when that man sets his mind to it, it's amazing what he can dig up thanks to his extensive background in Security work. Luke says that it took a personal call from him to get Shaznia an appointment with Kultan Vor'esk, the employer of our mystery Bothan who facilitated the attempted attack on Kenod Jayks in his home. My uncle doesn't like having to use the clout he's acquired in his years of service to the New Republic, but he'll do it when he needs to and it appears he needed to for this."

Michelle asked, "Why's that Master? Surely this Kultan Vor'esk would want to be of help, wouldn't he?"

Deanna answered, "Ordinarily Michelle, yes, but in my xenopsychology studies of the various nonhuman species that I squeeze in between my Jedi studies, I've found that Bothan's have historically placed both appearances of, and actual accumulation of, power and influence above just about everything else. During the Rebellion, this psychological drive, almost a cultural imperative really, was subsumed by the unification of the various rebel groups into a cohesive whole that formed the Rebel Alliance. After the Battle of Endor and the actual founding of the New Republic, this imperative resurfaced. Even during the brief reign of terror that the Reborn Emperor instigated, the imperative continued to operate and has done so through everything that's happened since then."

Michelle was visibly surprised, "Everything? Seriously?"

Jaina answered her Padawan, "Pretty much. The Krytos Plague and the Thrawn Crisis, though one of those was before my time, the other just as my brother Jacen and I were born, the Reborn Emperor like Deanna mentioned, the near resurgence of the Droch plague, the Black Fleet Crisis, the Shadow Academy and the Diversity Alliance. The Bothan's were always ready to provide the latest and greatest minds of the Bothan Spynet. Though they never openly charged a price for services rendered, my mom told me about some of the wheeling, dealing, bribing and threat making that was going on in the political field during each of those times. Even if I hadn't been born Force Sensitive, I'd of _never_ gone into politics after hearing about that. Let me tell you, when my mom made the announcement that she wouldn't be seeking reelection as President of the Senate, my whole family practically threw a party."

"So what happens from here?" Michelle asked.

Jaina said, "Shaznia will speak to Vor'esk though to be honest, I don't think she'll get very much out of him. If Corran can narrow down our search for the Rodian or Rodians responsible for the attack on Admiral Picard, we'll probably get more information. In conjunction with what your cousin Ryu is trying to accomplish on his end, I think we just might be able to crack this nut right down the middle, but I suspect the core is going to be rotten through and through."

Michelle shivered and said, "With regards to my cousin and what he may face, I have a bad feeling."

Deanna spoke, "I spoke to my mother last night, and she'll be willing to render whatever assistance she can, and I've got an idea how to go about that too."

Jaina's tone was the question this time, "What do you have in mind Deanna? I've been told that your mother is a full empath and can communicate directly with you telepathically when you lower your shields but even if she does a direct scan, it won't be admissible in court."

Deanna said, "You're right about my mother but she won't _have_ to do a direct scan which is unethical, unless consent has been given by the one to be scanned, but since she _is_ an empath, all she has to do is be in the same room with anyone we question. Unless a species is evolutionally capable of blocking PSI abilities, when asked a direct question, the truth comes to the surface of their mind and is broadcast quite openly. So even if they verbally deny any knowledge, their mind gives them away. I think if we look, Master Horn can find a statute somewhere that allows for third party consultations. My mother will automatically pick up on the surface leakage of the person being questioned and act as a basic lie detector. Adding to that, my mother is a veritable force of nature, no pun intended, when something gets her ire up. Just a few minutes of 'good cop, bad cop' and we'll get information that _is_ admissible in court."

Jaina was silent a moment then pointed at Deanna and said, "_You_, are bad."

Deanna smiled and said, "Thank you."

**Coruscant**

Shaznia sat back in the driver's seat of one of the family speeders on her way to her meeting with Kultan Vor'esk thinking about the strange call she'd received on her way out the door. The caller had identified herself simply as 'Nirri'. She was a Falleen girl of indeterminate age, at least over a communication image. All she'd said was for Shaznia to come to the Demon's Battle Cave by 1200 hours the next day and bring some friends she could trust as that it might get ugly, and hung up. Shaznia had been uncomfortable with being left behind when Ryu went to the Demon's Battle Cave in the first place, and when Ryu had left his lightsaber behind as well, she almost ran after him, but she had to trust that he knew what he was doing. That first night he was away, Shaznia's meditation indicated that she was doing the right thing and so she focused on her end of the investigation and started to consolidate her resources. Between Corran Horn's contacts in the NRPOC, his barely legal contacts through his father in law, Booster Terrik, _and _Starfleet Security, she'd put in some late hours sorting the good leads from the junk ones. Add to that the information that Ryu had uncovered so far, and a pattern was definitely beginning to emerge. With Master Luke's help, she'd finally gotten the appointment with Vor'esk, but wasn't expecting much. Arriving at the megaplex that held the Vor'esk residence, Shaznia left her speeder with the parking attendant, took her receipt and entered the lobby where she was questioned by building security as to her purpose. While the guard called up to the Vor'esk residence to verify the appointment, Shaznia took the time to observe her surroundings.

This particular megaplex was more upscale than hers and Ryu's home which wasn't considered 'low-income' housing by any means. The most obvious differences being the staffed parking area, the entrance lobby and the security guards inside the lobby. Shaznia also observed several holocameras scattered about covering all angles into and out of the lobby and speculated that there was a decent sized security force working here since the building housed several hundred different people and their families. The two things that they all had in common were that they were the same type of functionary as Vor'esk, just working for different representatives of the Senate, and they were all nonhuman, although, like her husband, she didn't give it much thought since they were all sentient beings like herself.

Today, she was wearing a basic all weather cloak over a pair of crème colored pants, matching shirt and low top boots. Other than a general purpose utility belt that carried her lightsaber, a portable comlink and a pouch with her ID and general purpose credit datacard, Shaznia traveled almost as lightly as her husband for day to day activities. The security guard waved her through to the turbolifts, of which there were several, just as one came to the ground floor. Getting in and pressing the button for the appropriate floor, Shaznia noticed at least two more holocameras, one covering the door and the other just above the door to get a clear view of any and all occupants. Mentally shaking her head in dismay at the scope and number of the security measures in place, she was a little curious as to why they hadn't asked for her lightsaber but thought no more of it as the car arrived on the floor and the door opened directly into the foyer of the Vor'esk home.

Kultan Vor'esk met her himself. He was an older Bothan, with visible streaks of gray through the black and brown fur on his head and across his snout. When he spoke, his voice was well modulated, almost soft-spoken as he said, "Master Jedi, I am _so_ sorry for the delays in meeting with you. I'd received your previous requests but I've been _so_ busy. The Bothan delegation to the Senate is up to its neck in election results for the latest representatives of the clans."

Shaznia bowed at the waist in greeting and said, "Thank you for taking the time to speak with me."

Vor'esk's fur rippled slightly as he said, "Please join me in the main room."

After both had taken a seat, Vor'esk spoke, "As I understand it, you were looking for information on my former ward Eoth Kohm; such an unexpected tragedy, his allergy to bacta. I was personally very fond of him and proud of the service he was rendering to my family. What would you like to know?"

Shaznia said, "While there was not a lot of detail put out over the holonet, this was by intent, I was hoping you might give me some insight into what kind of person Eoth was. Did Eoth ever speak openly of a dislike or even outright hatred of humans or Jedi? Did he ever give any sign that he might act against another person or try to do them harm?"

Vor'esk was thoughtful for a moment then said, "There was one time when he was nearing the age of his legal majority and I overheard him say something about 'stinking human controlled government' or some such. I took him to task immediately and told him that as part of the Bothan Spynet during the Civil War, I had worked, fought, bled and been friends with many humans and that I would not tolerate him openly disparaging humanity as a species. Yes the Emperor was human and the Empire was run by humans, but as balance to the human-run Empire, I also told him that it was largely humans that had started the Rebellion to begin with. He countered with the argument that if there was a Bothan president of the Senate, things would be better for nonhumans in general and Bothans in particular. That was the only time he ever spoke openly of it but I suspect he never really got over the loss of his family on Bothawui when the Reborn Emperor sent his World Devastators there. As I understand it, your Master Skywalker was secretly working for the New Republic by pretending to be the new apprentice of the clone emperor and dispatching the World Devastators only after sending a hidden signal to evacuate those areas of the worlds those terrible weapons were about to ravage, thus greatly reducing the overall loss of life. Am I correct in this?"

Shaznia said, "Yes sir, you are; though Master Skywalker rarely speaks about those experiences. I won't bore you with the sundry details except to say that Master Skywalker almost lost his soul to the clone but with the help of his family, he was able to come away from the abyss but one can't look into the abyss for too long before the abyss looks back at you."

Vor'esk said, "Too true, Master Jedi, too true. I wish I could be of more help to you but really, Eoth wasn't really prone to outbursts of any kind after he came to stay with my family. His schooling was fairly standard and his grade point average was well into the upper percentile for his age group. Now that I think about it, he was very much a loner when he first came to us. For a Bothan that is unusual but I wrote it off to his grief over the loss of his family. He attended some grief counseling for the first two years he was with us and seemed to heal because he soon became like other Bothans and found his calling to service. First to my family, as that we finished raising him and had he survived, I daresay he would've gone into the political service and maybe even won election to the Senate someday. As to the other part of your earlier question, did Eoth have any particular issues with Jedi? Not that I'm aware of. I don't even think he asked why there aren't more Bothan Jedi. Would you happen to know?"

Shaznia said, "I don't know, I'm sorry. On the surface, it seems as though being Force Sensitive is completely random. I _do _recall reading about some Bothan Jedi long ago, perhaps three or four centuries, and I know of one Bothan youngling at the Temple. More than that, I'm sorry, I don't know. One more thing before I go sir. According to records, you claimed Eoth's body before an autopsy could be done. Would you please tell me why?"

Vor'esk's fur rippled rapidly and unexpectedly at the question. He asked, "Why would that be of any concern? Eoth was something of a future thinker and it was in his Will that his body be cremated upon his death and returned to Bothawui if at all possible."

Shaznia said, "I'm sorry to cause you any distress but an autopsy would have been able to prove or disprove the theory that Eoth may have been under some kind of control, either chemical or physical which may have helped explain why a person with no criminal history, not even a parking ticket would suddenly try and recruit people and try to attack my son in his home."

Vor'esk's fur rippled again as he suddenly looked over at the chronometer on the wall and said, "My apologies Master Jedi, but I have somewhere I must be right now. For what it's worth, since Eoth was a ward of my family, on behalf of my family, I humbly apologize for his attack on your child. I hope he wasn't injured."

Shaznia got up to leave and said, "No, he wasn't injured, thank the Force and on behalf of my family, I accept your apology. Thank you for your time sir. Good day."

After Shaznia got her speeder from the parking attendant, she left the megaplex, merged with the traffic flow and headed back to the Temple to tell Corran what she'd just found out. Thinking on the interview, she knew that Vor'esk was surprised to find out that Eoth had recruited the thugs that had tried to hurt Kenod, but the sense she got from him through the Force as well as the rapid ripple of his fur told him that a nerve had been touched. Perhaps there was someone pulling on Vor'esk's strings from the shadows and told him to claim the body and cremate it before an autopsy could be done. Shaznia couldn't help but think to herself, _'The plot thickens_.'


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

**Jedi Temple**

Corran Horn had just ended a call to his father in law, Booster Terrik, when Shaznia caught up with him. The information Booster had given him had been unpleasant. Helpful yes, but unpleasant all the same. After listening to what Shaznia had gotten from Kultan Vor'esk, he quickly came to a decision on what to do next.

"Go topside to the Titan please Shaznia. Once there, you'll pick up Jaina, Michelle, Deanna and Deanna's mother Lwaxanna Troi. Meet me back here in one standard hour. I'll have further instructions for you after that's done. Anything else?" he said.

Shaznia answered, "Yes. Right before I left my house to go talk to Vor'esk, I got a strange call from a girl named Nirri. She said for me to be at the Demon's Battle Cave by 1200 hours tomorrow, and to bring some friends. I thought it rather cryptic. Any ideas?"

Corran answered, "You don't know?"

"Know what?" she asked.

"Ryu made it to the finals. It's been all over the datastream since he entered the Cave earlier this sevenday. Things like 'Champion comes out of retirement to avenge his son', 'Jedi Master to fight for ownership of the Demon's Battle Cave'; stuff like that has been floating around and making waves with a lot of my contacts in the lower levels." He said.

Shaznia nodded her head, "Ryu called me day before yesterday and told me about the Ysalamiri that Xoran had gotten for the Cave. Mara said she would track that with her old employer Talon Karrde to see if a data-trail could be found since Ysalamiri are highly restricted and expensive to transport anywhere. Other than that, I intentionally haven't kept track of Ryu's progress. If I do, I'll be too worried to focus on my end of the investigation. The Force tells me that Ryu is doing the right thing and I've left it at that. At any rate, when I get Michelle and the others from the Titan, I'll ask them if they want to go with me to the Cave tomorrow and to relay that to Admiral Picard. Would you be willing to come with us as well? You're familiar with underground events of the type in the Demon's Battle Cave aren't you?"

Corran nodded this time, "I am. I can't count the number of events like that my dad and I broke up when we both worked for CorSec back in the day. I have to admit also that I've wanted to see Ryu fight for a long time. I've watched the holos of his fights in the GFC but have wanted to see him fight in person. Just an FYI, Ryu is currently being given 10 to 1 odds for his fight with Xoran. Odds like that usually indicate _big_ stakes. Let me rephrase, big stakes is the ownership of the Cave. With 10 to 1, I'm not sure I want to even speculate what that means exactly. You spent time as a fighter; do you have any notions on this?"

Shaznia shivered, "The only thing that even makes sense would be a Death Match, but Ryu would never participate in one. At least not knowingly; but with the Ysalamiri that Xoran has, Ryu can't get any insight through the Force while in the Cave. The sense I've been getting through our bond, is that he's been more focused on healing than Farsight."

Corran said, "That being said, yes, I'll go with you and the others. For now, go to the Titan and catch up with me in an hour like I said. Right now, I have something unpleasant to attend to. See you in an hour Master Dree-Jayks."

With the return of formality, Shaznia knew it was time to be on her way, "Yes Master Horn. I'll see you in an hour then."

**New Republic Peace Officer Corps. Station 17**

When Corran arrived at the station, he expanded his Force Awareness, his 'sphere of influence' he called it, to take in sensory information from an approximate range of four meters or so. After verifying that there were no threats in the immediate vicinity, he shrunk his sphere to its normal range of a meter or so. Requesting to see Senior Detective So Leet, he was sent in a few minutes later. When So Leet saw him, Corran got a distinct impression in the Force. More than dislike, less than hatred. Corran locked the door behind him and manually dialed all of the windows in So Leet's office to opaque. Before So Leet could say anything, Corran sat down across from him and said, "How long have you been on the take, Detective?"

So Leet scowled and said, "I don't know what you're talking about Master Horn. Jedi or no, you need proof and lots of it before you go throwing accusations of corruption around. You may have been CorSec in your day, but this is a new day. CorSec as you know it no longer exists in case you missed the memo. I've cooperated fully with Starfleet Security and the Jedi during this investigation. Unless you have something definite, you can leave and take your high and mighty, hum- er I mean high and mighty opinion with you when you go."

Corran sighed and said, "My high and might _human_ opinion you mean to say? That's where you're wrong Detective and just so you know, I was _still_ in CorSec when it died as an organization of justice and became something far less meaningful than it was. You want proof? I can give you enough proof to put you away for the rest of your natural life and for a Cerean, that's a long time. As much as I dislike flaunting family connections, this time, it's justified. You forget who my father in law is. He can easily arrange for the appearance of an 'anonymous tip' or ten. By close of business today, you'll get to be a guest of the very justice system you represent."

So Leet started to splutter, then he sagged in his seat and seemed to deflate by three sizes. "Name your price Master Jedi."

Corran shook his head, "Retire . . . today. You've got more than enough time in service. I do this as a gesture of respect from one former law enforcement officer to another soon to be former law enforcement officer. Just tell me what happened to you that made you so bitter and antihuman. I scrutinized your service jacket before coming here. That's how I know you haven't always been as you are now. Bitter, angry and tired, so very, very tired."

So Leet sat back in his chair and seemed to stare off into the past. "You're right. I wasn't always this way. Once, a lifetime ago it seems, I was as equal-minded as anyone you would meet from the Federation. I didn't care if you were Human, Rodian or Zabrak. Everyone was sentient to me; until the dark times, until the Empire. It came upon me slowly, so slowly that I didn't realize it until it was far too late to redeem myself. When I first started in this field, it was just the Republic Peace Officer Corps. I worked with the Cerean Jedi Master Ki Adi Mundi several times. We came to respect each other. I could go places that he couldn't and he in turn could get results I could only dream of. Until General Order 66 that is. After he'd been gunned down by his cloned human troops and the Emperor had distributed his fabrication that the Jedi were trying to take over the Republic, I started my descent into the abyss. The Republic which for so long had been blind to speciesism became the Empire of Humanity. If you were nonhuman you didn't count. So long as I didn't step out of line, I was allowed to keep my job. No matter what kind of evidence I could acquire in the course of an investigation, it seemed never enough to do more than get a petty fine assessed or a day or two in jail if the suspect was human. If the suspect was nonhuman, the law books would fall upon you so hard, there was only figurative dust left. At first, I was just passing on information to interested parties. I was still young by the standards of my people. Young and idealistic; then it became arranging 'accidents' where no body could be recovered and the person would be moved elsewhere within their employer's syndicate. I never accepted any bribes or pulled any triggers myself, but I did arrange for others to do so. From there I dug my own hole deeper and deeper until finally, I woke up one day and didn't recognize the person staring back at me in the mirror. Have you ever experienced confusion and uncertainty like that Master Horn?"

Corran nodded his head emphatically, "Yes I have Detective, but with the help of a great mentor and friend, I came to accept who I had become from who I once was and merged the two into what you see now, the first of the Jedi Investigators. A class of Jedi that specialize in mixing the letter of the law with the spirit of the Force. Tell me what you know of the group that calls itself H.A.T.E. and of the owner of the Demon's Battle Cave, Xoran."

Instead of speaking, So Leet reached into his desk and took out some datachips. He said, "What I know of H.A.T.E. is on those chips. Names, meeting places, known and suspected activities. It's not everything, but it is what _I_ know. By doing this, my life is forfeit. I'll never get to enjoy retirement but in a way, I'm greatly relieved now."

Corran took the chips in hand and said, "Testify to the courts. The Jedi will protect you."

So Leet shook his head no and said, "I am reminded of an old saying back on my homeworld. After translation, it comes out as 'I've made my bed, now I must sleep in it."

Corran nodded his head and said, "I understand Senior Detective So Leet. I genuinely wish it could be otherwise."

After Corran left, So Leet accessed some private files that weren't on the chips that he'd just handed over. He sent his letter of resignation to the NRPOC Chief and a couple of private messages through the data stream, and then wrote down his decryption keys on a PADD. When he was done, he closed his office door. A few seconds later, the report of a blaster shot in close quarters was heard.

**Jedi Temple, General purpose meeting room**

By the time Shaznia returned from the Titan with the others, Corran had just finished going over the material that So Leet had given him. After listening to Jaina, Deanna and Michelle relate their experience with the psychometric vision, Corran cross-referenced what they told him with the information that So Leet gave him and had the name of the Rodian clan that was the most likely suspect for the attempted assassination of Admiral Picard. From there he put in a call with a different NRPOC station and arranged for the round up and arrest of the clan to be questioned. After finishing his call he returned his attention to the others in the room.

He said, "The NRPOC tells me that they'll have the suspect clan in custody by tonight and ready for questioning tomorrow. Ambassador Troi, are you certain you wish to help us during the questioning?"

Lwaxanna said, "Absolutely. What you want me to do is very similar to when I'm helping negotiate treaty or Federation membership applications with interested parties. It won't be difficult at all. What will we do until then is the more appropriate question I should think."

Corran said, "I'm planning on accompanying Shaznia to the Demon's Battle Cave tomorrow to see her husband Ryu fight in the finals of the local sector tournament he had to enter. That's the easy part of the process. The hard part is getting in to the fights. According to the datastream information, the arena seating has been sold out since the second day of the fights and it might be awkward to just walk in with lightsabers blazing."

Shaznia spoke up then, "There's an understatement if ever I've heard one, but I can help with that. I was meeting with Admiral Picard a couple of days ago when his Aide, Koni Komax mentioned that a pair of brothers owed him a favor from way back. These brothers I'm told, like to bet on the fights. If Koni puts in a call, I think he can get us a pair of guest seats in their box in the arena."

Michelle chipped in, "Better see if you can get a third seat for me. I don't want to miss this for anything."

Deanna and her mother shared a moment of mental speak and said, "My mother and I won't be joining you. She will need to spend some time preparing for the interrogations, so we'll both be returning to the Titan shortly as that it appears that we've done all we can to help at this point." A minute later, they were both gone.

Jaina nodded her head and said, "Likewise. I'm glad I was able to help out how I could but for now, my part in this is done as well. I'll be visiting with my mom, dad, brothers and their families for the next few days. If you need my help, call, and I'll be there as quick as I can." Turning to Michelle she said, "When you're done helping your Cousin, find me. Uncle Luke has an assignment for us that will take us offworld for a time. While we're doing that, I can resume your training. Any questions Padawan?"

Michelle shook her head, "Not at this time Master. Until then; may the Force be with you."

Jaina answered, "And you as well.", and left the room.

Shaznia got to her feet and said, "Thank you for everything Corran. As soon as I get home, I'll put in a call to Koni Komax. We'll meet tomorrow at 1100 and go over any last minute details before leaving for the Cave." Turning to Michelle she said, "You can stay in the guest room at home if you like Michelle."

Michelle got to her feet as well and said, "Thanks of the invitation Shazi. I'll take you up on it."

Corran said, "Glad I could help Shaznia. I'll meet you both tomorrow at 1100 then."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

**Ryu's hostel room**

Ryu had spent three hours in a Healing Trance, a short nap after that, then meditated. As he came out of his meditation, there was a knock at the door and Nirri came in when told to. Setting the clothes she'd gotten for Ryu on his bed she said, "While you were healing, a spanner got thrown into the works."

Ryu asked, "What do you mean when you say a spanner?"

Nirri answered, "Just after you'd entered your Healing Trance, Barab the Barabel was 'accidentally' run down by an automated transport that was passing by the Demon's Battle Cave. The official cause was navigational error on the part of the droid pilot of the transport."

Ryu nodded his head and said, "I don't have to assume that this happened _before_ he could give you the decryption key for that datacard that you got before we left the Cave, do I?"

Nirri said, "Got it one. What happens now?"

Ryu didn't skip a beat as he said, "While it is unfortunate that Barab died, we both know it was no accident and we both know who made it happen. This is just one more thing that Xoran has to account for. Besides, I know of a super-slicer by the name of Ghent. He heads up the New Republic's Computer Security division. He'll probably be able to crack that encryption on the datacard in about five minutes or less."

With more than a trace of anger in her voice, Nirri said, "I hope you take Xoran's kriffing head off tomorrow."

Ryu shook his head in negation and said, "Be mindful of your feelings Nirri. Remember what happened in the Dining Room the other night and stay calm. Xoran will be held responsible for his actions by the courts, not by me or you. Thanks for the clothes by the way. I'll change and then be on my way."

Nirri said, "Sounds like you've decided to train me. How do you know I'll leave with you?"

Ryu answered, "How do you know that you won't? As I mentioned before, think on it. Think on it very hard. To be a Jedi is not a choice to be made lightly. It _will_ change your life in ways you can't possibly imagine."

She answered, "I _have_ thought it over. I'll go with you after you defeat Xoran."

Ryu nodded again and said, "Let's just say you're half and half on that decision, for now. Whether you decide for certain one way or the other, your first lesson will come after my fight."

She answered, "I _have_ decided; besides, don't you mean to say when you beat Xoran?"

Ryu answered, "In my meditation, I saw several different outcomes, some good, some bad, but nothing is certain when it comes to episodes of Farsight. Master Skywalker is fond of one of his second teachers' observations on the future, 'difficult to see the future, always in motion it is'. For now, I have an appointment to keep. Stay here if you like while I'm gone, or visit any friends you have in the area. If you decide to come with me, it will be some time before you come back."

Nirri said, "Yes Master," and was out the door before Ryu could tell her not to address him as 'Master' until the Council had decided. A short time later, Ryu had changed clothes and went to the entrance of the hostel to find that Acks had just arrived in an open-canopy speeder. The two didn't speak in the short trip to a different entrance of the same building the arena was in. Entering a waiting turbolift with two guards on either side of the door after they performed a weapons check, Ryu was raised up a few floors. After the first two floors passed, Ryu felt the Force vanish, and knew he had just entered the Ysalamiri zone and knew the trip was coming to an end. When the turbolift stopped, the doors opened into a beautifully adorned foyer, and another weapons check. Looking around the room, Ryu saw artwork of many descriptions, a small weapons display that held a selection of blasters and blades of many shapes and sizes. In the center of the display was a very small cylindrical handle that would have fit entirely in the palm of Ryu's hand. Instantly, Ryu recognized a lightsaber, but for the life of him, couldn't figure out whose it could be.

Ryu heard footsteps on the highly polished floor coming into the foyer from behind him. Looking over his shoulder, Ryu wasn't surprised in the least when Xoran entered the room.

Xoran saw what Ryu was looking at and said, "I see you noticed the pride of my collection. In case you wonder, I am told that the lightsaber belonged to Master Yoda once upon a time. He lost it in the Senate chamber during his one and only confrontation with the Emperor . . . or so I am told. Analysis of the marks on the casing verifies that its owner was a small being and had three fingers on each hand; circumstantially suggesting that it was indeed Yoda who held that weapon. It still functions, amazingly, even after all this time without a recharge. I don't know who or what coined the phrase 'It takes a licking, and keeps on ticking', but it is most appropriate, wouldn't you agree Master Jedi?"

Ryu said, "Quite appropriate, yes. At any rate Xoran, I'll not waste your time with meaningless pleasantries and simply come to the point, if you don't mind."

Xoran said, "Join me in the Dining Room where we can converse like civilized beings." As the two soon-to-be-opponents sat at the table, Xoran clapped his hands with a theatrical flourish, and serving droids entered the room to begin serving dinner.

Ryu said, "Xoran, why did you attack my son and why do you wish to kill me? To be honest, while I have known for several years now that you were on Coruscant and that the Demon's Battle Cave entered into your ownership after you defeated the previous owner, I truly didn't care. What happened between us during our GFC days is long past or is for me at least. Why do you hold onto the past instead of letting it _be_ the past? It serves no useful purpose."

Xoran answered, "For power."

Ryu answered, "Power without perception is spiritually useless and therefore of no true value, Xoran. Didn't your teacher Xizor ever tell you that?"

Xoran smiled and said, "Spoken like the Jedi Master you are. Xizor taught me many things, not just how to fight. It is his example that guides me to this day. To answer your first question requires that I repeat myself. For power; after my dismissal from the GFC that you helped to orchestrate, I wandered for a time, searching for a purpose. Certain parties who shall remain nameless helped me find that purpose and in doing so, gained power over me. Limited power, but power over me just the same. In attacking your son, I made it known to those that held that power that that would be the final payment in my debt to them. They agreed and arranged my meeting with the person who took the brunt of your son's incredible technique. I had heard that your family line had mastered something called a 'kinitite hadoken', and now I understand just what it is."

Ryu answered back, "I think it more accurate to say that you know what form it takes but that you don't _truly_ understand anything about it. To summon a kinitite hadoken requires perception. Perception of one's place in the universe, of one's purpose in being in a specific place in space-time. Your strength Xoran is physical but physical strength is no substitute for perception, for perception is the key which unlocks the intangible power of the spirit."

Xoran fired back, "So you assert Master Jedi and on some level, I'm sure you are correct but come tomorrow and our fight, I will show you the depth of my perception and it is that perception that brings us to your second question. You ask me why I want to kill you. In answer, I repeat myself once more . . . for power. As I found my way, I made sure to eliminate everyone who has ever stood in my way. _You_ are the last thing in my way. By killing you, I will gain _such_ power as you cannot even imagine. After I'm done with you, _no_ one will stand in my way. Not the Jedi, not the New Republic, not Fey . . ., not H.A.T.E."

Ryu made a mental note of Xoran's near verbal slip and said, "So you seek my end for vengeance and not for H.A.T.E?"

Xoran chuckled and said, "H.A.T.E. is simply a means to an end for me. I couldn't possibly care less about their intentions to reduce humanity to second class status as that anyone who is not Falleen, is already a second class _lifeform_ to me, not just a lesser social class."

Ryu said, "Speaking of 'lesser social class' why do you hate your own daughter?"

Xoran wasn't expecting this and it showed in the slight reddening of his skin that marked his unconscious spike of aggressive pheromone. "So you know the truth?"

Ryu said, "I have accepted the truth that you have something more important than vengeance to live for Xoran. Falleen as a species are highly protective of their families; as protective as any other sentient species worthy of the title of 'parent'. When my children were born, I felt more alive than I ever did before, even more alive than at the height of my GFC days. As much as I did enjoy my time in the GFC, I gave it up and retired so that I could raise my family. So I ask you again, why do you hate your own daughter?"

Xoran took a breath and said, "I applaud you on your knowledge of Falleen society. As answer, it's not so much as hate as that Nirri is of no practical use to me. She was born due to a youthful indiscretion on my part. Her mother was of a slightly lower social rank than me. A child sired by me would have only raised her own social status but as soon as she realized she was with child, she ran. She ran because she knew that I would take Nirri and turn her into a proper Falleen whose duty it would be to marry into a ranking family, and by cementing such an alliance with another family of the same rank as mine, increase her Father's status, _my_ status, just as a daughter should. It is a daughter's place to bring her father greater power. As my resources grew along with my powerbase, I looked for Nirri and her mother. When I found them, it was too late. Nirri had been raised as little more than an urchin, doing whatever it took to survive and knowing precious little of how a Falleen should act. Her mother even gave her a name not in keeping with Falleen naming tradition. After I, shall we say, disposed, of Nirri's mother, I tried to bring Nirri into my operation but she refused time and again, each time more vehemently that before. By the time I finally gave her the ultimatum to serve me or die, she had already sliced into my database and acquired information that I can't afford to have go public. In that respect at least, Nirri is every bit the Falleen I am for being willing and able to use information as both tool and weapon. On that count, I'm actually rather proud of her, but since she'll have nothing to do with me except by way of a proxy like yourself, she will never know."

All Ryu could say to that was, "How very sad for you Xoran. I could say that I pity you but strangely, I find that your attitude doesn't really surprise me. Now that our conversation is ended, I'll take my leave of you. You say that you have no need to poison me to defeat me, but there might be a 'programming error' with another one of your droids that would accomplish the same thing as a conscious decision on your part."

Xoran said, "I have no idea what you are referring to Master Jedi. At any rate, it's your loss though as that it would have been a wonderful meal. Before you go, do you have any other questions?"

Ryu thought to himself, '_And if I believed in your ignorance about Barab's death, I'm sure you could throw in some beachfront property on Hoth in addition to the Imperial Palace,' _Thinking for a moment further, Ryu said, "Even though I've never placed a bet on myself in any fight I've ever been a part of, I'll make one with you now, if you wish it."

Xoran's eyes widened slightly as he said, "_This_ is indeed a surprise. What will you wager?"

Ryu said, "If you win our fight tomorrow, you can have _my_ lightsaber. Since you intend to kill me, I won't need it anymore and you'll have the proof of your win over me."

Xoran said, "I do plan on killing you but I must also admit that you are a skilled opponent and could quite possibly defeat me. What do you want in exchange?"

Ryu said, "If you win, you get my lightsaber and the notoriety that would inevitably come to you by defeating me. If I win, I get _all_ the information you have on the group that calls itself H.A.T.E, _and_ the lightsaber that may or may not have belonged to Master Yoda."

Xoran snorted, "You ask for too much."

Ryu countered with, "Seems a small enough price for your vengeance."

Xoran considered it and then said, "So be it . . . Jedi. You have yourself a bet."


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

**Ryu Jayks Residence**

Shaznia slept poorly the night before she went to go to Ryu in the Demon's Battle Cave. The images and feelings that assaulted her were so jumbled and mixed together, she couldn't tell which ones were Force related and which ones were simply the anxiety she felt for her husband. Giving up the attempt at sleep, she went into the main room of her home and performed a pair of katas for health and meditation. As soon as her heartbeat and respiration had returned to normal, she placed herself into a conventional rest trance to make up for the sleep she couldn't get and stayed there until 1000. After a shower, she caught up with Michelle who had just finished making breakfast in the kitchen. The two said little, each one wrapped up in her own thoughts of the moment. By 1100, Corran Horn arrived. On her way out the door, Shaznia grabbed Ryu's lightsaber from its place on the table by the door and attached it to a spare hook on her utility belt. Wordlessly the three went to the parking area and got into the airspeeder that Corran had brought with him.

**Coruscant air lanes, enroute to the Demon's Battle Cave**

Shaznia saw that traffic had gotten thicker the closer they got to the Cave before the surrounding buildings obscured further observations as they went to a back entrance usually reserved for high stakes patrons and met the Namor brothers, Torse and Pars. The taller of the two, Pars, was visibly nervous as he said to the two Jedi Masters and one Jedi Padawan, "Hurry up! If Master Xoran sees that we allowed three Jedi into our box, he'll never let us place wagers here again! Torse, this is the last time we ever make an open-ended offer to anyone as a gratuity!"

Corran distracted Pars with a hand gesture and suggested, "You really should relax. No one who sees us will recognize us for what we are. What Xoran doesn't know won't hurt you."

Pars calmed down almost instantly and in a peculiar voice replied, "I really should relax. No one who sees you will recognize you for what you are. What Master Xoran doesn't know won't hurt me."

Torse chuckled into the palm of his long fingered hand and motioned the three to follow behind him as Pars took up the rear of the line. Not five steps into the door and all three, Michelle, Shaznia and Corran felt the Force vanish. The three exchanged a glance and knew they were committed to the course they had chosen.

**Front Entrance, Demon's Battle Cave**

As Ryu entered the Cave with Nirri in tow, he thought for a moment that he'd felt the presence of his wife Shaznia and his Cousin Michelle, but the feeling vanished before he could focus on it as he entered the bubble created by the Ysalamiri. Entering the Fighter's Rest Area, he saw that he had the room to himself and began to warm up and stretch out all of his major muscle groups. Already, the ever-increasing crowd noise could be heard coming from the arena seating tiers. While Ryu was doing that, Nirri changed out the powercells in his hand and foot gear for him. After his final stretch, Nirri handed him his gear which he then put on. Checking the tie downs of his gi, Ryu made sure his headband was secure and tugged down on his gloves one more time to ensure they were seated properly. Looking over to Nirri he said, "So, you ready for this Manager?"

Nirri answered, "Where you go I follow Master."

Ryu said, "Don't call me 'Master'. Not until the Council decides one way or the other Padawan."

Nirri answered, "Yes Master."

Shaking his head in faux exasperation, Ryu strode through the doors and into the arena proper.

**Namor Brothers Box Seat**

Ignoring the Neimoidians, the three Force Sensitive people looked out onto the arena floor itself and the tiers of seats surrounding it. Above the highest seats on each wall of the Cave were high definition screens so that the spectators could see instant replays no matter what direction they were facing. As soon as Ryu came into view, Shaznia automatically reached out to him through their bond only to find emptiness where the bond should be. Then she remembered where she was and mentally chastised herself for reaching out, knowing the whole time, that it wouldn't work.

Michelle said, "Ryu looks like he means business, no doubt of that. What do you think Master Corran?"

Corran looked down from his seat and said, "I've seen body language like that before and it seldom bodes well for the focal point of such attention. Shaznia, I never saw Ryu fight in his GFC days. Was he always like that going into a final?"

Thinking back to those times and places; she had to admit that she'd never seen Ryu like this and said as much. A moment later, she added, "Once you take into account that there's no referee to prevent the fighters from permanently damaging or killing each other, it makes sense. Even in the champion level fights of the GFC, there were always rules. No biting, no gouging, no throat strikes, that kind of thing. Here, there's only the fight. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to cut my way out of this box and go to him right now, but I have to have faith in the Force, even though it has been repelled, and faith in my husband that he knows what he's doing. That must be Nirri behind him, carrying his bag. She's the one who called me and said to bring along some trusted friends in case it turns ugly."

**Fight Platform**

Ryu stepped up onto the platform itself and took a deep breath to help center himself in the moment. Xoran entered the arena a moment later and took his own place on the platform, across from Ryu. Instead of his usual custom-made suit of shimmersilk, he was barefoot and wore a set of fighting trunks that clung like a second skin while leaving his upper body uncovered, and a set of shock-gear that had seen heavy use. Touching his jaw, he activated his voice amplifier and said, "Greetings one and all to the final fight of this cycle here in the Demon's Battle Cave. Today's match will decide ownership of the Cave as well as decide once and for all, who is the strongest!" Allowing the crowd to sound its applause for a minute, Xoran motioned for their attention. When he had it, he said, "For those of you watching this event live on pay-per-event in your favorite establishment, the Cave has remote betting kiosks waiting for your wagers. For those of you lucky enough to have a seat in the arena today, you will have fifteen more minutes to place any last minute wagers and obtain any refreshments compatible with your biochemistry."

Turning off the mouth piece, Xoran snapped the fingers on his right hand and Acks came up onto the platform holding a large cushion. On it were a set of datacards and the lightsaber from the display case in Xoran's residence. He said, "I have honored my side of our bet, Master Jedi. Where is your lightsaber?"

As answer, Ryu walked over to the side of the platform closest to the seating box belonging to the Namor Brothers. He hadn't mentioned to Nirri that in all of the short visions of the future that he'd had, Shaznia was in each one. Even though the glass on the front of the box was completely opaque, Ryu made eye contact with his wife and made a gesture as if in salute, as if his lightsaber were already in his right hand. A moment later, the emergency escape hatch on top of the box could be seen to rise up from the inside and a shiny metallic object could be seen to arc through the air to land in Ryu's hand as if attached by an invisible line. Turning back to face Xoran and Acks, Ryu walked over and placed his weapon on the cushion next to the other objects. Wordlessly he returned to his side of the platform.

**Namor Brothers Box Seat**

Shaznia resumed her seat after closing the escape hatch. Seeing the surprised looks on her companions' faces and the near horror on the faces of the Namor Brothers, she said, "Don't ask. It's a married thing," and returned her attention to the platform below.

**Fight Platform**

Fifteen minutes later, Xoran reactivated his voice amplifier, "The betting cages are now closed! Prepare yourselves for the final match of this cycle." Deactivating the amplifier, Xoran removed it from where it had set on the side of his face and handed it to Acks. After the Gran had stepped off the platform, Xoran said to Ryu, "Let us both dispense with the power cells in our respective equipment, shall we?" Fitting action to words, Xoran removed the cells from his gear and threw the disc-shaped objects aside. Ryu did the same just as different voice came over the sound system and said, "LET THE FIGHT BEGIN!" Xoran stood there, hands held at waist level, pushing palm to palm, in an isometric position, eyes closed and said just loud enough for Ryu to hear, "I have one last surprise for you Master Jedi."

Ryu wondered what it could be and then noticed the support frame with the Ysalamiri retract back into the ceiling. Seconds after that Ryu felt the Force flow through him again at full strength. In those few seconds, he was certain of Shaznia's, Michelle's and Corran Horn's resonance in the Force. Then he felt one other resonance, dark and tainted, almost oily in sensation, coming from right in front of him. Xoran revealed the source of this dark resonance by opening his eyes and showing a pair of orbs a sickly and wholly unnatural yellow-red staring out at his opponent. Before Ryu could adjust to this sudden revelation, Xoran blurred and Ryu felt a sudden and intense pain as Xoran connected with a standing uppercut to Ryu's abdomen. Ryu fell back, his breath almost completely knocked from him. Only his many years of fighting experience had saved him when he unconsciously exhaled sharply at the moment that Xoran had moved. Even so, Ryu was caught slightly off guard.

As he recovered he said, "Are you . . ."

Xoran finished the question, "Sith? No, not entirely. I serve no one but myself. There is no Sith spirit guiding my actions. My travels while I searched for a purpose took me far and wide. I suspected for many years that I was Force Sensitive but I knew I was untrained. What I learned was entirely on my own from scraps of manuscripts and fragments of holographic records that I found. The Force led me to these fragments but it wasn't the weak passiveness of _your_ light side. You would call it the Dark Side but regardless of what you call it, it is _my_ darkness; freely chosen, and embraced completely and it_ feels_ incredible. My anger is my own. Anger at you for what you took away from me when you caused me to be cast out of the GFC and hatred for what my daughter was turned into. After today, I will _take_ what I want, when I want, starting with your life!"

**Namor Brothers Box Seat**

Shaznia stood up and placed her hands against the glass of the box. "That was Burst of Speed just now! Xoran has conscious awareness of the Force now! Ryu mentioned that Xoran was Force Sensitive but didn't know it back then. Now he does! Corran, you faced a Sith Lord when you encountered Exar Kun. Does Xoran exhibit anything like that?"

Corran focused on Xoran as he said something to Ryu who was recovering from that first punch. "No, he doesn't have the concentrated malevolence that Kun did. There is dark power yes, but it's only barely controlled. Xoran is a wilder of the worst kind."

Michelle spoke then, "How is there a 'worst kind' of wilder Master? What do you mean?"

Corran said, "There's being a wilder and then there's being what Xoran is. Ryu's father, your uncle Ronin was technically a wilder in that he was able to unconsciously channel the Force into his Teräs Käsi. It made him stronger and faster though he didn't know it was the Force at the time. Xoran can feel the Force, but he can't control it yet. That's what makes him the worst kind of wilder."

Michelle asked, "Should we go down there then?"

Corran said, "Not yet. If we do, Xoran may become like a cornered animal and strike out at everybody in the arena with the Force. He might lash out with the Force and strangle a bunch of people before we can subdue him or he might even throw some Sith Lighting. While the Lightning is extremely unlikely, it's best not to take chances with so many innocent people around. But if we do, _you_ will stay here in the box and out of the way Padawan. Shaznia and I are the only ones capable of taking Xoran down if this goes badly. For now, we should trust in the Force and in Ryu's abilities."

**Fight Platform**

Xoran finished speaking and waited for Ryu to recover. He wanted to savor this fight and everything it stood for. Ryu assumed his natural fighting stance and in a flicker of motion, he was gone. A heartbeat later, Xoran felt a solid kick to his back. Turning the kinetic energy of the kick into a forward roll, he recovered to his feet and turned to face Ryu. Nodding his head to acknowledge a clean hit, he and Ryu both slid in and started trading punches at point blank range.

Ryu connected with a left jab to Xoran's head. His second jab was deflected. Then he countered with a right hook to Xoran's ribs, followed by a short left uppercut to Xoran's chin. Xoran answered with a two-handed punch to Ryu's chest and abdomen but Ryu was ready this time and absorbed the blow with a focus grunt to absorb and dissipate the energy, but it still caused him to take some steps back. Xoran followed up with a leaping knee that Ryu was able to sidestep just barely. Having never faced a Dark Side Force user, even a partially self-trained one, hand to hand, Ryu knew they were roughly matched in that the Force would, to their sight, slow down each attack as it neared its target, but both men were too close to fully block, evade or counter. As Xoran turned around Ryu stepped in with his best combination: left uppercut low to the body, right punch to the face, right round kick to the head, spinning left thrust kick to the body, capped off with a thrusting left elbow to Xoran's solar plexus. Each hit connected fully, Ryu felt it through each limb as his attack followed through to the end. Xoran went down for only a second before getting back to his feet and wiping a trickle of blood from his split lips and smiling.

Ryu thought to himself, '_Force almighty! What does it take to put him down?'_

Xoran closed the distance again and threw a jumping double back spin kick. At the first hit Ryu was able to bring his arms in to catch the kick on his forearms but the second kick connected with the heel across Ryu's cheek. Ryu felt his cheek open up where Xoran's kick had connected and went down on his belly, rolled over and saw Xoran coming in from above with a leaping punch. Ryu rolled out of the way and simultaneously felt and heard the punch against the mat where his face had been just a heartbeat before. Getting back to his feet, he didn't have to feel his cheek to know it was bleeding badly. Instead he threw a right round kick to Xoran's ribs just as Xoran threw the identical kick. Both kicks connected, setting both fighters back. Coming into range again, Ryu and Xoran both threw right hooks and again, both techniques connected on their respective targets, both men went down to the mat. Ryu rolled into a forward somersault, trying to connect with a dropping heal kick. This time Xoran rolled out of the way as Ryu's heel smacked the mat. Ryu back rolled to his feet as Xoran got to his. Ryu could see that Xoran was feeling the damage that had been inflicted on him to this point but he knew too that Xoran could see that Ryu too, was feeling his damage by this time as well. Xoran and Ryu closed the distance again, each attempting to fake out the other and thus open up another opportunity. Suddenly Xoran stepped in, latched both his hands behind Ryu's neck and started to drive one of his knees into Ryu's abdomen repeatedly. The first one connected but was absorbed, the second only partially absorbed, but before the third could connect, Ryu drove the point of his right elbow into Xoran's knee as hard as he could. Xoran couldn't stop the shout of pain that issued forth as his grip broke away. Ryu then stepped in and threw another right elbow, this time on the flat, against the side of Xoran's head followed up by a left spinning back knuckle. Both hits connected, but Xoran somehow got to his feet, a little slower perhaps, but no less ready to continue the fight. Ryu stepped forward to try and capitalize on his previous two hits only to have Xoran grab the front of his gi with both hands and execute a shoulder throw. Ryu landed hard on his back and Xoran leaned over him and threw several rapid punches into Ryu's chest from above. Each hit connected and on the last punch, Ryu felt something crack in his chest but not break thankfully. Ryu threw both feet up as if to perform a kippup but instead grabbed both Xoran's ankles, latched both of his feet around Xoran's head and then pushing against his ankles, Ryu jackknifed and carried Xoran over to slam down onto the mat just as hard as Ryu had moments before.

Ryu got to his feet just as slowly as Xoran did, both fighters facing each other. Feeling through the Force and seeing through the Ki, Ryu knew it was time to finish this fight. Closing the distance one last time, Ryu leapt up into the air and yelled out, "Tatsu-maki-sen-pu-kyaku!" All five kicks connected with Xoran's face. As he started to spin away, Ryu reached out and grabbed Xoran by one outstretched arm. Cocking his right fist down Ryu roared out, "Shoryuken! The Rising Punch threw Xoran into the air up and away. As Ryu completed his spin into the air, he put both hands to his hip and by the time he landed, could already feel the Force and the Ki begin to coalesce between his palms. Focusing every ounce of his power and intent into the technique he said, "Denjin . . ." Just over the glare of his ever increasing power, Ryu saw that Xoran had somehow gotten back to his feet and started to run at him, hoping to reach him before he could complete the technique. Ryu knew it was already too late as he shifted into a forward zenkutsu-dachi, ". . . Hadoken!"

Running as he had, Xoran collided head-on with the kinitite hadoken. The impact knocked him back and off the edge of the platform by several meters to lie in a heap against the foot of the wall that separated the first tier of seats from the arena itself. Nirri with medical tricorder in hand ran to Ryu's side as he sank down to both knees. Before she could perform a scan he said to her, "Remember when I said your first lesson would come after my fight?" When she nodded her head, he said, "Go to the platform's edge and look on just one face of many, of the Dark Side of the Force . . . the face of your Father, and decide if you want to join the Jedi Order and learn the ways of the Force."

Acks the Gran had stepped back onto the platform just as Ryu got back to his feet while Nirri did as Ryu instructed her to do. Ack's voice came over the sound system and said, "It is the way of the Demon's Battle Cave that when the stronger fighter wins, he, she or it, through that victory, becomes the owner and master of the Cave. Through victory, Ryu Jayks has earned his prize! Put your hands or other convenient appendages together and welcome the new Master of the Demon's Battle Cave . . . Ryu Jayks!"

The crowd noise was practically deafening as every spectator got to their feet clapping and cheering. The sound reverberated to and fro throughout the entire arena. Ryu looked around at the misplaced energy and sated bloodlust of the crowd, feeling a little sorry for them all. Taking the voice amplifier from Acks when he offered it, Ryu said, "As the new owner and master of the Demon's Battle Cave I will not close this place, nor will I own it. I freely give over my title of ownership to Acks the Gran. May it serve him well."

Handing over the amplifier in the suddenly silenced arena, Ryu walked over to where Nirri still stood. Placing one hand on her shoulder he said, "Fighting for the sake of fighting leaves only emptiness Nirri. There is far, far more to the Jedi than fighting but it is still necessary from time to time. Can you deal with that? Can you accept that you will learn to serve more than yourself? There is no disgrace in declining to become a Jedi. Some people choose not to join us. When that happens, we teach them just enough so that they can control their gift and then send them on their way. It all comes down to choices my Father once said to me. So many, many choices; light and dark, good and evil, never one without the other. Now you know how close the darkness can be, and how close the light. Which path will you choose to follow Nirri?"


	27. Chapter 27

**Jedi Temple, General Purpose Training Room, 20 Years Later**

Nirri sat in the middle of the room surrounded by Younglings of all ages and species, some with assigned Masters, some without. She finished speaking, ". . . And that was how I came to join the Jedi. That day I was presented to the Jedi Council and Ryu Jayks was officially designated as my Jedi Master."

A teenager, one of the slightly older Younglings said, "If I can ask Master Nirri, what happened to your father, Xoran? Did he change his path and join the Jedi too. Master Skywalker says that even a Sith can change, can be redoomed."

Nirri said, "You mean redeemed?" Giggles broke out among the assembled Younglings. Nirri said, "That's enough Younglings. It's a fair question. Don't be mean over a misused word." When the giggles stopped, Nirri continued, "To answer your question Padawan Riker-Troi, though Xoran may have been my father by blood, I again chose to have nothing to do with him from that day on. Though I have long since forgiven him what he tried to do, since the ability to forgive is very powerful on its own, I will not forget. When Master Jayks hit him with the kinitite hadoken, it not only won the fight for him, but it severed Xoran's connection to the Force . . . permanently. According to the Tedryn holocron and its Gatekeeper, the ancient Jedi Master Odan-Urr, to sever a person's connection to the Force, even one who chose the Dark Side, is the most devastating attack possible with the powers of the Light Side and is a terrible thing. Xoran will never get to decide if he wants to learn of the Force."

Another Youngling, a Bothan, raised her hand and asked, "What about that group that wanted to turn humans into second class citizens?"

Nirri turned to the girl and said, "By the terms of the wager that Master Ryu made with Xoran, when he won the fight, he got the datacards and the lightsaber. The information on those cards helped a joint Starfleet Security and New Republic Peace Officer task force, no pun intended, to move in and take down every cell that had been involved in active, criminal efforts on behalf of the movement. Each cell that was captured turned over more information until the leader of the entire H.A.T.E. organization was exposed and captured. As it turned out, it was the Bothan Senator, Borsk Fey'lya. He was arrested, tried, convicted and in accordance with Bothan tradition, his entire family was dishonored. For those of you familiar with the Klingons, think of it as discommendation. But for the fact that the spice mines of Kessel were turned into a legitimate mining operation many years ago, Fey'lya would still be there, working in darkness day after day, and so would Xoran. As it is, both of them are in penal colonies on opposite sides of the New Republic. Xoran may get paroled in a few more years, but Fey'lya will be incarcerated for the rest of his natural life. A few of the smaller chapters of H.A.T.E. still exist as a fringe group devoted to the removal of humans as a power in the galaxy but are harmless. As is so often the case, the actions of a few, create a bad reputation for the group as a whole. After the trial of Fey'lya, Michelle Karú performed another Psychometric reading and as it turned out, the lightsaber did indeed belong to the Jedi Master Yoda, one of the greatest Jedi ever. Yoda also trained Ryu's father, Ronin Jayks and well as Master Skywalker."

Still another Youngling raised their hand, "Did you learn the kinitite hadoken like your Master? How come I've never seen him?"

Nirri smiled and said, "Master Ryu trained me for ten years. In that time he taught me everything I know about the Force _and_ Teräs Käsi, including his special techniques, the hadoken among them. Five years after I was made a Knight, he and Master Shaznia moved to the Federation Homeworld with a cross section of knights and masters and built a Jedi Temple across the bay from Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco. But before he did, he passed ownership of his dojo to be held jointly by his son Kenod, his daughter Gabrielle and their respective spouses. His Cousin Michelle Karú accompanied them and introduced them to the rest of her family. Kenod and Gabrielle went with them just long enough to meet their distant cousins but returned to Coruscant. Five years after he and Shazi left, for a total of ten years after my Jedi Trial, I was made a Master and have been helping teach Padawans like you for about a year now. Any other questions for now?"

Padawan Riker-Troi raised his hand again and said, "If Master Ryu taught you all of his techniques, but passed his dojo over to his kids, what does that make you?"

Nirri said, "That makes for another story for another time and makes me end this group right now and send you back to your other classes."

A collective groan of the type that only children can make was heard throughout the room to be replaced with more giggles as the Younglings left the room. As they did, Nirri was by herself for a moment until Kenod entered the room, took Nirri in his arms and kissed her soundly. "They'll figure it out sooner or later wife o' mine. Especially Padawan Riker-Troi; he's as sharp as they come at that age. His younger sister will be just as quick I imagine."

Nirri answered, "I imagine you're right husband of mine but there's no point in boring them with how we came together, over a two hadoken backblast double knockout, just yet. Let's go to the Nursery, pick up the twins and then go home."

Kenod smiled and took his wife of five years by the hand and said, "Where you go Master Nirri Jayks, I follow."

Nirri answered back as was the way of their inside joke, "And where you go Master Kenod Jayks, I'll follow you."


End file.
